Pyhrgas Crossing

Vacationer (25) fell 400 meters—found dead

On the way from the Kleiner Pyhrgas to the Großer Pyhrgas, the tourist fell off the southeast ridge.(Bild: Bergrettung Oberösterreich)

Several hut and summit logs in the area already bore his signature. He had still been at the Kleiner Pyhrgas, but the summit logbook was too full for another entry—shortly afterward, the mountain vacation for a 25-year-old German man on his way to the Großer Pyhrgas ended fatally.

On Tuesday morning, the police alerted the mountain rescue service to launch a search operation for the young mountaineer, who had not checked in after a planned crossing of the Pyhrgas range. A tragedy was feared. In addition to eight mountain rescuers from Spital am Pyhrn and Windischgarsten, 13 colleagues with two dogs from Admont in Styria joined the search, along with six police officers.

Six firefighters were also on the scene; the Kirchdorf Fire Department’s drone took off, as did the “C 14” rescue helicopter and the police helicopter from Klagenfurt.

Cause of the incident remains unclear
“The missing person was finally spotted from the helicopter,” reports Daniel Schröcker, operations and local station manager for the Spital am Pyhrn Mountain Rescue Service. For the mountaineer, any help came too late. The German man had fallen 300 to 400 meters from the southeast ridge on the trail leading from the Kleiner Pyhrgas to the Großer Pyhrgas. Since he had been hiking alone, no one noticed the accident.

Well-equipped and experienced
“Whether a rock broke loose or he slipped on wet ground after the rainy spell, it will no longer be possible to determine,” explains Schröcker. The victim’s body was recovered by a rope from the police helicopter. The 25-year-old was well-equipped for the hike and was considered a skilled mountaineer.

The victim was a fit, experienced young mountaineer who was also properly equipped.

Daniel Schröcker, Bergrettung Spital/P.

According to the mountain rescuer, the Pyhrgas crossing is becoming increasingly popular. He warns against attempting the route without proper preparation: “The route is challenging, with a difficulty rating of level two to three. There are sections that require climbing, as well as exposed sections.” He added: “Unfortunately, serious—and sometimes even fatal—accidents happen here time and again.”