The German Alpine Association announces a historic low in deaths on the mountain - via ferrata as a new source of danger

The German Alpine Association reports fewer deaths than ever for the Corona year 2020. Most mountaineers had accidents while hiking.

But there are also new worry disciplines.

The DAV strongly advises beginners to be careful - and to use a healthy self-assessment.

Munich

- The trend towards the summit storm is unbroken. And anyway, due to the pandemic, even more people fell in love with the mountains - not only to find peace, but also to face new, sporting challenges. The German Alpine Association, as a nature conservation association and the largest national mountaineering association in the world, has more and more members. There are now almost 1.4 million. If they get in need in the mountains, the DAV will cover the rescue costs. As a security researcher, Lukas Fritz meticulously evaluates all cases - and now drew his conclusion on the Corona year 2020.

"The rush to the mountains was great last year - and so was the concern that especially inexperienced people might be on the way," says Fritz.

"Therefore, the DAV warned not to go to the limits of your own capabilities in order not to unnecessarily endanger yourself and the rescue workers." The DAV recorded significantly fewer accidents in the lockdown months of March, April and May than in previous years - and this is also reflected in the number of mountain rescue operations (we reported).

“There were simply fewer people on the road,” says Fritz.

Closed borders and the lack of snow in winter also played a role.

2020: Corona lockdown reduces number of mountain sports accidents

While in 2019, 56 people, an above-average number of DAV members died in mountain sports, last year there were 28 fewer than ever since the statistics began in 1952. 1145 members were involved in a total of 920 accidents in the DAV mountain sports year 2020. 734 were injured. With 377 and 247 accidents, most of them happened while hiking, mountaineering and on the ski slopes. In the former, a total of 17 DAV members had a fatal accident.

Fritz wants to observe two other disciplines more closely in the future: mountain biking and via ferrata.

“With 65 accidents, there was for the first time more mountain biking than ski touring.” One mountain biker had a fatal accident.

Most of the accidents were falls on the descent or in bike parks.

“They happen without outside interference, so the DAV cannot confirm a war between hikers and mountain bikers,” he says.

“In addition, the proportion of e-bikes is increasing, which means that a completely different population is on the move.” The DAV wants to train them, after all, e-bike riders are not experienced mountain bikers.

DAV: Via ferrata and mountain bike trails as new hot spots for accidents

The number of via ferrata accidents tended to decline until 2019.

But last year they rose and three people were killed.

Only a quarter of the DAV via ferrata climbers had to be rescued because of a fall - the majority "blocked", as Fritz says.

“People cannot go back or forward and are desperate.” They are completely flat or have overestimated themselves.

"It is frightening that in 2020 it was often children who were overwhelmed and found on difficult via ferratas."

In principle, anyone looking for new challenges on the mountain should prepare well.

"We advise via ferrata beginners to train in advance, to plan the tour carefully and, above all, not to start with the most difficult", says Fritz.

In the end, a lack of self-assessment pushes the number of accidents up again and again.