Industry News
Two Czech mountaineers were rescued on Tuesday morning, February 6, by a Dragonfly (c9) police helicopter of the Kärnten police in Austria, after having spent two nights in a bivouc on the Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain at 3,798 meters (12,460 feet). The pair had sustained injuries from a rock slide during a hike on Sunday, February 4. The two Czech hikers managed to seek refuge in the Glockner bivouac at 3,205 meters (10,515 feet), which was built exactly for this purpose.
According to Klaus Brandstätter from the regional mountain rescue service, the pair had planned to climb a winter ascent of the Mayerlrampe in the north face of the Glockner, which is up to 70 degrees steep in parts. The mountaineers were well-equipped and experienced. The 25 and 39-year-old Czech nationals were flown to a hospital in Lienz with unconfirmed injuries. There are reports one of them may have fractured a collarbone.
The injured pair made it to the bivouac on Sunday evening from where they phoned for help. Rescue attempts on Sunday evening and Monday failed due to strong gusts of wind. “On Monday afternoon we got to within 20 meters (65 feet) of the bivouac, but then it became too dangerous due to the wind,” Horst Wohlgemut with the Alpine Search & Rescue confirmed. Because their injuries were not deemed critical, a recovery on foot was not considered, as it was potentially dangerous for the Search & Rescue teams due to high danger of wet snow avalanche.The pair was well equipped and had spare batteries and food and drink to make it through the two days in the bivouac until their successful evacuation.
