Two Hungarian climbers, aged 19 and 20, were rescued from the Großglockner in Austria on Monday morning after getting into trouble during their descent. With a helicopter rescue impossible, six mountain rescuers had to climb up to reach them in the dark. The operation could reportedly cost as much as EUR 20,000.
Two young Hungarian climbers got into difficulties on Austria’s highest mountain on Sunday evening and had to spend the night on the slopes before being brought safely down to the valley. The pair became stranded during their descent from the 3,798-metre Großglockner amid strong winds, freezing temperatures and fading daylight, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported.
The rescue operation lasted through the night, with mountain rescuers reaching the climbers shortly before 1 AM. Both young men were eventually brought to safety by helicopter on Monday morning.
Young climbers took a more difficult route down
The two Hungarians had set out from the Stüdlhütte mountain hut, intending to climb the Großglockner via the normal route. However, their ascent progressed slowly, and the 19- and 20-year-olds did not reach the summit until around 4 PM.
As their physical condition deteriorated, they wanted to descend as quickly as possible. They asked other climbers for advice on the fastest way down and were recommended the Stüdlgrat route, which is considerably more difficult and technically demanding.
The decision proved challenging. As darkness fell, strong winds and cold conditions made the descent increasingly dangerous. At around 7.20 PM, the two young men made an emergency call for help.
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Six rescuers climbed up to reach them
By that time, a direct helicopter rescue was no longer possible. Six members of the Kals am Großglockner mountain rescue team were therefore flown by a rescue helicopter capable of operating at night to the fog line, at an altitude of approximately 2,800 metres.
From there, the rescuers had to climb the mountain to reach the stranded climbers on foot. They found the two Hungarians at around 12.50 AM on Monday and provided them with assistance before beginning the descent together towards Adlersruhe, a mountain shelter.
The group arrived there at approximately 3 AM and waited until dawn before continuing towards the Ködnitzkees glacier area. At 7.30 AM, a police helicopter was finally able to pick up the entire rescue team and the two Hungarian climbers, flying everyone safely down to the valley.
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Both climbers suffered hypothermia, but escaped injury
The two young Hungarians were suffering from hypothermia but had no other injuries, according to ORF. The operation involved the Kals am Großglockner mountain rescue service, a rescue helicopter, a police helicopter and police officers from Matrei in East Tyrol.
While the rescue ended without serious injuries, the complex operation may also come with a substantial bill. According to the Hungarian-language Facebook page Magyar szemek osztrák tükrökben, the cost of the hours-long operation involving both ground rescuers and helicopters could reach or even exceed EUR 15,000–20,000.
