Climber on Trial for Allegedly Abandoning Girlfriend Faces Similar Past Accusation
A climber currently standing trial for allegedly abandoning his girlfriend on Austria's tallest mountain, leading to her death, has been accused of engaging in similar behavior with a previous girlfriend during a court hearing. Thomas Plamberger, 39, faces a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of Kerstin Gurtner, 33, who perished in pitch-black conditions on the 12,640-foot Grossglockner mountain in January last year.
Chilling Details of the Fatal Ascent
Prosecutors detailed how the couple began their climb of Grossglockner in central-west Austria on January 19, starting approximately two hours later than originally planned. Harsh weather conditions included wind speeds reaching 46mph, which combined with temperatures of -8°C to create a wind chill effect equivalent to -20°C. Webcam footage from the mountain showed the climbers' lights visible around 6pm, with the pair becoming stranded from approximately 8:50pm onward.
According to court testimony, Plamberger allegedly left Gurtner at 2am after spending more than an hour with her in freezing conditions. Webcam images reportedly show him climbing alone at 2:30am, while a rescue alert was not issued until 3:30am. Fierce winds prevented helicopters from reaching Gurtner until 10am, when mountain rescue teams discovered her body just 150 feet below the summit.
Previous Incident Revealed in Court
A letter allegedly received by Plamberger's brother from an ex-girlfriend was read in court, in which the woman claimed Plamberger had "left her in a desperate situation" during an argument about the difficulty of climbing the same Grossglockner mountain. When asked if he could imagine his brother leaving Gurtner to die, Plamberger's brother told the court, "I never saw him in such a situation."
Conflicting Accounts and Evidence
Judge Norbert Hofer noted that Plamberger's account did not align with how Gurtner's body was discovered on the mountainside. The judge presented a photograph showing Gurtner hanging freely from the rock face, indicating she had fallen, while Plamberger claimed he had left her at a different location entirely. Kurt Jelinek, representing Plamberger, argued that Gurtner had shouted "Go!" at his client after he spent considerable time with her in freezing conditions.
Prosecution's Case: Multiple Failures
Prosecutors presented a comprehensive case alleging multiple failures by Plamberger. They stated he left Gurtner "unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented" approximately 50 meters below the summit cross of Grossglockner. As an experienced climber who had planned the tour, prosecutors argued Plamberger should be considered "the responsible guide of the tour."
The prosecution detailed several specific failures: not making sufficient effort to contact emergency services before nightfall; failing to make a distress signal when a police helicopter flew overhead at 10:50pm; starting the tour approximately two hours later than scheduled; and not carrying appropriate emergency equipment. Prosecutors also noted the couple was poorly equipped, with Gurtner wearing snowboard soft boots instead of proper hiking footwear.
Additionally, prosecutors argued Plamberger failed to properly consider that his girlfriend had never attempted an alpine high-altitude tour of this length and did not place her in a wind-sheltered location or use aluminum rescue blankets or a waterproof "bivvy bag" sleeping bag to keep her warm when he departed.
The Mountain's Challenge and Aftermath
According to amateur mountaineers writing online, Grossglockner represents a challenging ascent requiring ropes, crampons, and ice axes. The standard route forces climbers to cross a glacier known for treacherous hidden crevasses. Since Gurtner's death, hundreds of tributes have poured in remembering the "wonderful" woman. A funeral notice posted online last January stated: "Our lives are in God's hands; if it is His will, then do not grieve for me. But remember me with love."
Plamberger has denied all allegations through his lawyer, characterizing the incident as a "tragic, fateful incident" in which he left to get help. The head of the mountain rescue team suggested Gurtner may have attempted to climb down the mountain by herself after being left. If convicted, Plamberger could face up to three years in prison. The trial continues as more evidence and testimony are presented.
