Thomas Plamberger, 39, faces trial in Innsbruck for grossly negligent manslaughter in the January 2025 death of his girlfriend Kerstin Gurtner, 33, who died of hypothermia just 150 feet below the 12,461-foot summit of Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain. The case has ignited fierce debate within the alpine community about responsibility, decision-making under extreme duress, and the moral boundaries of survival when a climbing partner becomes incapacitated.

The pair began their winter ascent of the Stüdlgrat route on January 18, 2025—a technically demanding mixed climb involving rock, ice, and steep snowfields. Plamberger, with over a decade of serious mountaineering experience, was the more skilled of the two; Gurtner, while passionate and fit, had significantly less high-altitude winter experience. They planned a fast-and-light push, carrying minimal bivouac gear and aiming to summit and descend in a single push.

Conditions deteriorated overnight. Temperatures dropped to -20°C (-4°F) with wind gusts over 70 km/h. Around 2 a.m. on January 19, after dealing with a rope snag and increasing fatigue, Gurtner began showing clear signs of hypothermia: shivering violently, confusion, slowed speech, and loss of coordination. Plamberger testified that he spent more than 90 minutes trying to rewarm her—placing her inside his down jacket, feeding her hot tea from a thermos, and attempting to motivate her to keep moving. According to his account, she became increasingly incoherent and repeatedly told him “Go! Just go! Get help!” while pushing his hands away when he tried to cover her again.

Plamberger ultimately descended alone, reaching a point with cell reception and activating an emergency SOS beacon at the earliest opportunity. He contacted mountain rescue at approximately 4:15 a.m., providing coordinates and describing Gurtner’s condition. Rescue teams reached her location around 7:30 a.m. She was found suspended from the rope on the exposed rock face, unresponsive, with no pulse. Core temperature was estimated below 25°C (77°F). Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful; she was declared dead at the scene.

The Innsbruck prosecutor’s office charged Plamberger with grossly negligent homicide, asserting that as the more experienced climber he bore a heightened duty of care. They argued he should have:

Turned around much earlier when Gurtner first showed signs of distress
Deployed the emergency bivy sack to shelter both of them
Attempted to lower or carry her to a more protected spot
Stayed with her and used the beacon immediately instead of descending alone

They presented photos of Gurtner’s body position—still clipped to the rope, jacket partially off—as evidence she had been left hanging in extreme exposure for several hours.

Plamberger’s defense, led by attorney Kurt Jelinek, countered that Gurtner was already in severe hypothermia by the time he left. They cited medical testimony that victims in advanced stages often exhibit paradoxical behavior: refusing help, insisting rescuers leave, and even undressing despite freezing conditions. The defense emphasized that Plamberger activated rescue as soon as he reached service, and that staying with her in those conditions—without shelter and with rapidly dropping temperatures—would likely have resulted in two deaths rather than one.

A damaging moment came when Plamberger’s ex-girlfriend Andrea Bergener testified that in summer 2023 he had left her alone on the same mountain after a dispute during a climb, descending while she waited in a less exposed spot. The court accepted this as evidence of a pattern of abandoning partners under pressure, though the circumstances differed significantly.

On February 19, 2026, Judge Hofer delivered a guilty verdict on the charge of grossly negligent manslaughter. Plamberger received a five-month suspended prison sentence and a €9,600 fine (approximately $10,300 USD). The sentence is not yet final; he has three days to appeal. The judge described his decision as “callous at best,” pointing to inconsistencies between his account and the physical evidence of Gurtner’s body position, and emphasizing his training should have equipped him to recognize when a partner is no longer capable of rational decision-making.

The mountaineering community remains sharply divided. Many experienced winter climbers defend Plamberger, arguing that once severe hypothermia impairs judgment, the partner’s instructions can no longer be treated as reliable. “You can’t drag an unconscious or combative person down a technical route alone without risking both lives,” one veteran alpinist commented on Austrian climbing forums. Others are unforgiving: “He had gear, time, and knowledge. He chose to walk away from someone who trusted him with her life. That’s not survival instinct—that’s abandonment.”

Gurtner’s family issued a short statement through their lawyer: “Kerstin was trusting, adventurous, and full of life. She deserved a partner who would stay with her until help arrived—or until the end. We are devastated and seek justice.” Friends remembered her as warm, determined, and deeply in love with the mountains, often relying on Plamberger’s expertise during their relationship.

The Grossglockner tragedy has prompted immediate calls for better education on cold-weather emergencies. Austrian alpine clubs report a surge in requests for training on managing hypothermic partners, and several organizations now offer specialized workshops on decision-making and shared responsibility in high-risk climbing. Legal scholars note that cases like this are rare but extremely difficult to prosecute: proving gross negligence requires demonstrating that the defendant’s actions fell far below the standard expected of a reasonably competent climber in the same situation.

Plamberger remains free pending any appeal. Whether or not the conviction stands, the image of a young woman left suspended on a frozen face, waiting for rescue that came too late, has left a lasting scar on the alpine community. Grossglockner—long celebrated as a symbol of beauty and challenge—now carries a darker legacy: a reminder that in the mountains, love, trust, and responsibility can be tested in ways no one ever wants to face.