Avalanche accident in South Tyrol: Five Germans, including Allgäu residents, dead!

Avalanche accident in South Tyrol: Five Germans, including Allgäu residents, dead!

A tragic avalanche accident in the Ortler Alps last Saturday, November 1, 2025, claimed the lives of five German mountaineers. Below the summit of the Vertainspitze, at an altitude of around 3,200 meters, they were hit by an avalanche as they wanted to climb the challenging north face. The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. and caused great sadness in both Germany and Austria.

The group consisted of three rope teams: a group of three and two groups of two. According to initial investigations, the avalanche could have been triggered by a rope team consisting of a father and his daughter who were trying to warn other climbers on the wall. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain and the seriousness of the situation quickly became clear. Among the victims are three people from Ostallgäu, including a 58-year-old man, his 21-year-old son and his girlfriend. The other two dead also come from Bavaria, as reported by wochenblatt-news.de.

Rescue operations in full swing

Intensive search operations took place on Sunday, using helicopters, drones and thermal imaging cameras. Operations manager Olaf Reinstadler said that after the visible results of the search, hope for survivors had expired. Two mountaineers, two men around 50 years old, survived the accident and raised the alarm. They were quickly found by the rescue teams, but any help for the other climbers came too late.

Although the avalanche danger was not considered particularly high that day, it is possible that strong drifts triggered the avalanche. Mountaineers who are already familiar with the high alpine school know that the north face tour to the Vertainspitze is considered a “high alpine ice tour” which requires a high level of alpine experience and special equipment. This reinforces the warnings issued in regions with frequent avalanche accidents. You can find out more about this at allgaeuer-zeitung.de.

A repeated misfortune

The Vertainspitze is not only popular because of its impressive view, it also has its dark side. Last year there was another serious avalanche accident nearby, in which two ice climbers lost their lives. Such tragic incidents raise questions about safety and the increasing number of avalanche victims, as documented by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in its statistics. This organization archives all known avalanche accidents since 1936 and uses the data for comprehensive analyzes to prevent accidents.

The community where the accident occurred now faces the challenge of dealing with grief and further improving safety in the mountains. As mountaineers face the adventure in the Alps, everyone is aware of the risks that are often associated with beauty and freedom.