TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, leading article: "The amusement park is somewhere else", by Irene Rapp

2023-07-31 20:00:30

Edition of Tuesday, August 01, 2023

Innsbruck (OTS) – The sometimes bizarre alpine accidents of the weekend can be traced back to one cause: the mountain world of Tyrol is often seen by holidaymakers as a Walt Disney backdrop, where common sense is not switched on.

First the good news: A lot has happened in the mountains in recent years. In terms of preparation, for example, when attending courses or planning a tour. But also in terms of equipment: the majority of outdoor enthusiasts are well equipped, which already leads to new problems – namely that e.g. B. Winter sports enthusiasts cannot operate their avalanche transceiver. But there are still enough black sheep and since Corona there have been a lot more people looking for distance, peace and relaxation on the mountain.

A desire that is reinforced by perfectly prepared images in TVB materials and social media. One thing, however, is often ignored by holidaymakers: that the mountain world of Tyrol is not a Walt Disney backdrop, nor is it an amusement park, but a potential area of danger. A hold can break out on the rock, a path can be partially swept away by a storm and a stone can fall from above in the gorge.

The whole thing is exacerbated by the human factor. The climber who triggered a rescue operation in the Wilder Kaiser on Friday alerted his relatives before the correct site was informed hours later. Apparently, the German, dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt, didn’t know that 140 was a number for alpine emergencies. And that German family who missed the last descent of the Rifflsee lifts in St. Leonhard im Pitztal on Sunday and tried to get down on foot probably made another mistake: that the path around the Rifflsee at 2,300 meters above sea level is doable with prams, but not the one down into the valley.

Tyrol’s mountain rescuers could tell countless such stories. In the previous year, the emergency organization had to respond to more emergencies than ever before. This summer, the volunteers won’t get bored either. Also not because many mountaineers lack the self-assessment of their own abilities, and then an emergency call has to be made in the middle of the via ferrata.

Common sense sometimes seems to be left behind in the valley. And sometimes also the appreciative treatment of each other. While most outdoor athletes have insurance and their rescue costs are covered, not all do. When the mountain rescuers then get to hear why the mission is not free of charge or why they try to negotiate the rescue costs, they are left with bewilderment.