Wearing shorts: Alpinists get into trouble at night at 2550 meters
A climbing adventure on the Ifinger Pass above Merano in South Tyrol nearly ended in death for two young Italian hikers. One of them was wearing only shorts.
A dramatic rescue occurred on the 2,581-meter-high Ifinger Pass in the Sarntal Alps in South Tyrol: Two young hikers found themselves in distress in the dark on Sunday evening (May 11) after making slower progress than planned on the Heini Holzer via ferrata. Remaining snow and approaching fog complicated the tour. The climbers suffered from dizziness and nausea. At 10 p.m., they called the emergency services, as reported by " Südtirolnews ."
Nine Merano Mountain Rescue personnel set out and finally found the couple near the Kleiner Ifinger at 2,550 meters. Both were exhausted and suffering from hypothermia and circulatory problems. The young man was wearing shorts. The rescuers provided them with warm clothing and drinks.
After the operation, the Merano Mountain Rescue Service warned on Facebook : "Even in May, snowfields at higher altitudes are not uncommon." Careful tour planning is essential.
It happens again and again that poorly equipped mountaineers run into problems. Two Vietnamese tourists got into trouble last winter on the Matterhorn at an altitude of 3,500 meters . An emergency call triggered a 14-hour rescue operation, which was complicated by snow, wind, ice, fog, and cold. The men, wearing only sneakers and cotton trousers, were found severely hypothermic below a mountaineering route and rescued by rope. They were not flown out by helicopter until nightfall. Air Zermatt billed the rescued men for the rescue.
This summer, a hiker's choice of footwear caused a stir. An Austrian mountain guide posted a video on Facebook showing a young man climbing the Zugspitze in Birkenstock sandals. The video has already been viewed 1.5 million times and sparked a heated debate about mountaineering safety. The mountain guide commented, stunned: "Nothing surprises you anymore."
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