Last January, an Austrian woman in her mid-30s froze to death just 50m below the summit of 3,798m Grossglockner, the country’s highest peak. At the time, she and her boyfriend, an experienced alpinist, were attempting a winter ascent of the technically demanding Stüdlgrat Ridge.
Now, almost 11 months later, the Innsbruck Prosecutor’s Office has formally indicted the man on charges of grossly negligent manslaughter. The crime carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
According to the prosecution, the experienced climber bears a leader’s responsibility for a ”cascade of gross errors” that directly contributed to his girlfriend’s death. The errors include leading an inexperienced partner — one who had never tackled an alpine climb of this length and difficulty before — up the exposed ridge. At the time, she was wearing soft splitboard boots, which were totally unsuitable for the rocky, icy terrain.
The couple had started at 6:45 am on January 18, 2025, and pushed into the night amid freezing temperatures and gale-force winds up to 74kph. Exhausted and hypothermic, the woman collapsed around midnight near the summit. The pair had a bivy sack and thermal blanket, but didn’t use them. Her partner left her there around 2 am and descended alone via the normal route to the Adlersruhe hut. He finally called for help at 3:40 am.
Too late
Rescuers, including alpine police and local team members, reached her body at 10:10 am after a brutal hike in stormy conditions, but it was too late.
Rescuers on the way up. January, 2025. Photo: Kleine Zeitung
The man planned the route himself, but they began two hours behind schedule, without emergency bivouac gear standard for such winter endeavors. They pressed on past the last turnaround point at around 8:50 pm, even as conditions deteriorated and descending became impossible without ropes, which they lacked.
According to the indictment, the man ignored repeated incoming calls from the Alpine Police, alerted by concerned witnesses. He silenced his phone and failed to signal distress during a helicopter flyover, only alerting authorities hours later after abandoning the debilitated woman without providing wind protection or wrapping her in the emergency blanket.
The prosecutor’s case rests on forensic medical reports, data from the couple’s smartwatches and phones (including timestamps and ignored notifications), photographic and video evidence, witness testimonies, and expert opinions that underscore the man’s higher duty of care as the more seasoned partner.
In a written response, he has denied any misconduct. The trial is set for February 19, 2026, according to oe24.at.
