A 19-year-old man has died while trying to ascend the Zugspitze peak overnight, police in Austria said on Saturday.
The man departed from the Ehrwald base station in Austria with a friend on Thursday evening, police in the Tyrol region said.
Halfway to the summit, he slipped while crossing a snowfield and fell around 250 metres down extremely steep, rocky terrain, police said.
The 19-year-old sustained fatal injuries in his fall. His companion immediately alerted the emergency services and was picked up unharmed by a helicopter using a hoist. The other man’s body was retrieved by another helicopter.
“The two had intended to watch the sunset during the ascent and the sunrise after reaching the summit,” police said.
However, they were apparently not adequately prepared for the winter-like conditions in the Alps and only equipped with “hiking boots, headlamps and crampons.”
Crampons are attached to footwear to avoid slipping in icy conditions. However, the type used by the two men is less effective in Alpine territory than those used in mountaineering.
Mountaineers usually also carry an ice axe on such trips to hold on to should they slip on a snowfield.
Towering nearly 3,000 above sea level, the Zugspitze sits on the border between Germany and Austria. It is Germany’s highest peak.
The route chosen by the two young men, via the Stopselzieher fixed-rope route, is considered the shortest and a relatively easy ascent, starting on the Austrian side.
However, like the other routes, it is currently only recommended for very experienced mountaineers.