Яндекс.Метрика
2025-12-07

Teen Climber Killed in Slab Avalanche on Zugspitze, Germany’s Highest Peak





A 19-year-old German climber was killed on Saturday when a small slab avalanche swept him 350 meters down the Stopelzieher route on the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain on the border with Austria. He had been ascending the via ferrata with a 21-year-old companion when the slide broke above them shortly before 10 a.m. on December 5.



Related: 29 Stranded Hikers Rescued from Zugspitze, Germany’s Highest Mountain



According to initial reports, the older climber was clipped into the fixed-rope section 20 meters above, when he saw the slab release and shouted a warning to his partner. His younger partner, who was not secured to the cable at that moment, could not avoid the avalanche and was swept away and carried down steep, rocky terrain by the snow masses. The 21-year-old was able to alert search and rescue immediately.



Rescue teams from Ehrwald, Lermoos, and Grainau—supported by avalanche dog units, the police helicopter Libelle Tirol, and an emergency medical helicopter—responded to the scene. The buried climber was found under roughly 30 centimeters of snow by an avalanche dog, and emergency crews began resuscitation efforts immediately. Despite their attempts, he died from severe injuries at the site. The surviving climber, whose position on the rope prevented him from being swept away, was uninjured and was later cared for by a crisis intervention team.



Related: Strokes of Luck Save Climber Trapped Headfirst in Glacier Crevasse at Zugspitze, Germany



Lawinen.report described the avalanche as a small, shallow slab, triggered during the pair’s ascent. Wind-affected snow was visible on the surface, creating unstable pockets despite an overall moderate avalanche danger (Level 2) in the region on Saturday. The Tyrolean avalanche report had warned that weak layers in the old snowpack could still be triggered by individual mountaineers.

 

The upper circle indicates where the avalanche broke while the lower circle is the place the deceased hiker was found. | Image: Alpinpolizei

 

The post Teen Climber Killed in Slab Avalanche on Zugspitze, Germany’s Highest Peak appeared first on SnowBrains.

Ссылка на источник: https://snowbrains.com/teen-climber-killed-in-slab-avalanche-on-zugspitze-germanys-highest-peak/