Unusual accumulation of rescue operations: Signs now warn of dangers on the Halserspitz
Created: 11/29/2022, 4:00 p.m
By: Gabi Werner
The first sign is at the entrance to the Halserspitz in Siebenhütten.
Alex Stern, Alfred Müller and Florian Gloggner (from left) hope that hikers will take the warning to heart.
© Thomas Plettenberg
In spring 2021 there were an unusually large number of mountain rescue missions at the Halserspitz in the Kreuther Blauberge mountains.
Signs warn urgently of the dangers.
Kreuth
– Spring is already awakening in the valley, in the alpine area it is still the dead of winter: not all mountaineers know how to assess the situation in spring correctly.
Especially on the Halserspitz in the Kreuther Blauberge mountains, hikers repeatedly get into dangerous emergencies - they know neither forward nor backward, the mountain rescue service has to come to the rescue.
In order to protect the mountaineers from such tricky situations, several warning signs with an urgent message have now been installed in a joint effort on the ascent route of the Halserspitz.
Old snow fields last well into early summer
"Danger to life" is written in large letters on the sign that is attached under a signpost at the entrance to the Halserspitz in Siebehütten.
Below the explanation: The northern crossing of the Halserspitz leads through alpine and sloping terrain.
And: "Old snowfields often last well into early summer."
On the Halserspitz: 16 people rescued from mountain distress within three months
Because many underestimate this, there was an unusual accumulation of operations in this area, especially during the Corona period.
"In the spring of 2021, we flew down 16 people within three months," says Alex Stern, spokesman for the Rottach-Egern mountain rescue service.
Only two people were really injured, all the others had climbed or could no longer manage the descent independently due to exhaustion or fear.
"In the shady summit area, the snow stays forever," Stern points out.
"People are completely surprised by this," adds Alfred Müller, also a mountain rescuer and also a trail manager at the Tegernsee Alpine Club section.
Trail Officer has installed signs along the ascent route
It was therefore time for Bergwacht, DAV and the municipality of Kreuth to act.
The sign project was implemented a few weeks ago together with the Achensee hiking trail community in Tyrol.
The path officer of the municipality of Kreuth, Florian Gloggner, set out to put up a total of six signs at the neuralgic points of the Halserspitz, i.e. at the entrances and junctions.
"The signs are distinctive, I think they catch the eye," says Gloggner, who walked the route and carefully selected the locations.
Everyone involved cannot really explain why so many day-trippers were drawn to the Halserspitz of all places during the pandemic period.
The tour may have been recommended on relevant forums on the Internet.
In the meantime, the situation at the Halserspitz has relaxed to some extent.
Numbers of operations have not yet reached the pre-corona level again - "fortunately"
As far as the general deployment balance is concerned, the number of deployments has not yet reached the level of pre-Corona times.
"Fortunately," as Stern says.
So far, his readiness has had to deploy almost 160 times this year.
Before the pandemic, the Rottach-Egern mountain rescue service often counted around 260 operations a year.
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"Now we have to see what the winter will bring," says Stern.
According to the spokesman, how often the active people have to move out in the cold season depends very much on when skiing starts in the Spitzingsee-Tegernsee area and whether the toboggan run on Wallberg is in operation.
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