Climbing
An American tourist had to be rescued on Lagazuoi Mountain, Italy, by Alpine Rescue ‘CNSAS Veneto’ on Wednesday, June 12, around noon. The 33-year-old man had become trapped in a snowfield at an altitude of 8,136 feet (2,480 meters), wearing only sneakers and without any appropriate hiking equipment. He was unharmed but sent off a distress call, and CNSAS rescue members came to escort him down to the parking lot.
Lagazuoi is a mountain in the Italian Dolomites with a peak elevation of 9,201 feet (2,835 meters) near Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Veneto Region. Cortina d’Ampezzo is in the Dolomiti Superski area which is part of the European offering of the IKON Pass. While the hike is rated ‘easy’, it still requires appropriate clothing and footwear. The Rifugio Lagazuoi mountain lodge advised guests on its social media accounts that trails are covered in snow from an altitude of 8,546 feet (2,300 meters) and that hikers will need suitable shoes and equipment.
The American tourist alerted mountain rescue after becoming and a team from the Guardia di Finanza went up by cable car and then down on foot to reach him. The tourist, who was wearing sneakers, was escorted back to the parking lot by rescuers.
The unnecessary rescue prompted the president of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, to lose his patience:
“Our Alpine Rescue and the yellow helicopters are not taxis. Those who approach the summits thinking, with a call, of being able to return in a short time to the parking of the car escorted by the rescuers in uniform, must evaluate the consequences and responsibility of their inconsiderate actions.”
Zaia’s frustration stems from the fact that last month alone 50 rescue missions had to be carried out by CNSAS. “The summer season in the mountains has just begun and there are already numerous reports of imprudence that have forced men and means of the Alpine Rescue to intervene.” He emphasized that it is vital to not clog up the important work of rescue teams with these unnecessary rescues.
CNSAS urges hikers to “wear appropriate footwear, choose the right clothing, and check the weather conditions before venturing on difficult and need of preparation routes.”
Rescue calls in Italy typically fall under the category of health emergencies and are therefore free of charge, however, if the rescue is resulting from a ‘high-risk activity’ (including ski mountaineering, paragliding, mountaineering, or mountain-biking) in an inaccessible environment, then a rescue fee will be charged. Typically, this fee consists of €200 ($214) base for the first hour plus €50 ($54) for each additional hour up to a maximum of €500 ($536) for ground rescues, or €25 ($27) per minute, up to a maximum of €500 ($536) for helicopter rescue. However, non-emergency calls such as this one, carry a special penalty and reckless or poorly equipped hikers can be charged up to €1,500 ($1,607) for ground rescues and €7,500 ($8,033) for helicopter rescues. It is unclear if and how much the American tourist was charged for his rescue.
Winter conditions persist across the European Alps and some hiking trails have not been able to open yet due to snow accumulations at altitude. Always make sure you wear appropriate clothing and check the weather forecasts and prevailing conditions before setting out.
