An Instagram star tempts fans with breathtaking pictures to take a threatening tour of the red gutter.
An insider tip has become a hotspot.
Now the Mittenwald mountain rescue service had to rescue two injured people within a few weeks.
But the rush continues.
Mittenwald
- The pictures are breathtaking.
A man stands on the snow-covered Tiefkarspitze, his skis strapped to his back.
The young Garmisch-Partenkirchner writes a “perfect day” - with a celebrating smiley.
Almost 24,000 people follow him on Instagram.
But his account should reach far more people.
His fans give the pictures little hearts, share them - and supposedly take the staged internet motifs as a model.
It almost killed two men.
Since Heinz Pfeffer has been on-call manager of the Mittenwald mountain rescue service, he has never been on duty in the red gully - a steep and impassable slope from the Dammkar ski route up to the Tiefkarspitze.
Interspersed with rock faces, only 50 meters wide and almost 50 degrees steep.
The route was virtually unknown for decades.
Very few locals who have mastered skiing and mountaineering inside out dared to go there.
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Up to 500 ski tourers a day were out and about in Mittenwald Dammkar during Holy Week.
© Bergwacht Mittenwald
For six weeks - shortly after the said Instagram post - entire armies have been setting out on this dangerous path on skis.
Within this short time, the mountain rescuers had to move to the red channel twice.
A skier's first fall in the gully in February resulted in a back injury.
The second on Maundy Thursday with wounds on the face and bruises.
"Both had several guardian angels," says operations manager Luis Ostler with certainty.
Because whoever falls in this area falls far.
The 29-year-old slid 150 meters down on Thursday and only came to rest below the rock face.
Two mountain rescuers, an emergency doctor and a flight rescuer recovered the injured person and took him to the Murnau Accident Clinic in the Christoph Murnau helicopter.
What makes Ostler thoughtful: Both of the fallen were experienced alpinists.
“But even for them the route is very dangerous.” Ostler can only shake his head.
On Good Friday, his comrades saw the next 15 ski tourers as they climbed the gully in the morning.
“If only one person falls, it's like being in a bowling alley.
The upper one pulls the lower one down with it. ”Not to mention the danger of avalanches:“ When the soft snow comes down there, nobody can escape. ”Especially if they start too late.
"The longer the sun shines on the slopes, the greater the danger of avalanches."
The Mittenwald mountain rescue service looks to the coming Easter days with apprehension
Ostler and Pfeffer are now looking at this extended Easter weekend with apprehension.
Up to 500 ski tourers climbed the Dammkar every day during Holy Week.
On Saturday, Sunday and Monday they are on heightened alert.
Of course, the mountain rescue service doesn't want to forbid anything.
They couldn't either.
But Pfeffer appeals not to be tempted to overestimate oneself by tempting images from the Internet.
“Everyone should assess their abilities realistically.” So that nobody puts themselves in unnecessary danger - and that includes the mountain rescuers.
He would prefer not to put any pictures online - to avoid copycats.
Especially since he annoys that the red gully is being advertised on the Internet even for snowshoeers and mountaineers.
“It's irresponsible and life-threatening.” He wants those who encourage dangerous tours with Instagram posts to “finally become aware of their responsibility”.
