Austrian Mountaineer Faces Trial in Girlfriends Hypothermia Death

An Austrian mountaineer faces trial on charges of negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died of hypothermia near the summit of the country's highest peak during a winter ascent last year. The Innsbruck court is scheduled to open proceedings against Thomas Plamberger, 37, on Thursday, following the death of Kerstin Gurtner, 33, on January 19, 2025, on Grossglockner in the Hohe Tauern range of the Eastern Alps.

The couple had set out on January 18 to summit the 3,798-meter (12,460-foot) mountain via the challenging Studlgrat route, a demanding high-alpine winter climb that requires specialized glacier and climbing gear. Prosecutors from the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office contend that Plamberger, as the more experienced climber and the one who organized the tour, bore responsibility for its safety. They allege he committed multiple errors, including starting the ascent about two hours too late in the day, which made a safe summit and return unlikely given the forecast of deteriorating weather.

As night fell, conditions worsened with subfreezing temperatures around minus 8 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) and winds gusting up to 72 kilometers per hour (45 miles...