Austria - Thomas Plamberger leaves gf, Kerstin Gurtner to freeze to death on Austria's tallest mountain - charged with manslaughter - Jan.19/2025

[LookingForClues]

It's true the reports and media only mention her splitboard, and nothing about gear he had, but I don't think he had skis. There's no way he climbed up the mountain and down, long after dark, for 20+ hours, carrying skis on his back, knowing it's too dangerous to ski down in the dark. No one with any common sense and awareness would do that. Carrying extra gear just slows you down and sets you up for failure. Especially since he claims he was trying to get help to get her off the mountain.

As I mentioned before, they knew at the "breakfast spot" it was going to be dark by the time they summited. They should have turned around. He should have told her to at least ditch her splitboard if, as he insists, she still wanted to climb. He surely would have ditched his own skis at that point.

Plus it sounds like he made crazy fast time after he left her, in the dark, in winter, in a storm, let alone doing that carrying his ski gear.

I know some super-fit and highly experienced athletes who are incredibly focused on upping their game and not a one of them would try something this dangerous, especially with someone who is only getting into mountaineering. You are only as fast as the slowest person in your group. He threw caution to the wind from the moment they arrived late in the car that morning.

I agree it doesn't make sense for only one of them to have gear to snowboard or ski down, because that means they'll get separated. That has always confused me. The only thing I can think of is if he wanted to time himself for how fast he could descend on foot. Trying to keep up with her would be one way to test yourself. He strikes me as the kind of person who would want to have an idea of how fast he can summit and return on foot.

I guess we'll have to wait until the trial to know all the details and whether he had skis.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I think if he valued/cherished his girlfriend, he would have helped her into the bivy/blanket at some point before she reached "near death" or certainly once when she became unable to continue.

I do not believe this is something he "forgot."

I would ask him, which of his actions showed that he valued her well-being?

He would have known it was her only chance, and it would have taken some minutes, not hours, to cover her.

They had blankets and a bivvy wrap that were not deployed. But do we have evidence that no other ones were deployed and went missing in the winds?

Good question. Let's see what the authorities say he said to them at the time.

 

[Queen of the Winter Night]

I would think that experienced SAR teams would be well-aware of conditions and places where a bivvy and other equipment could blow away in the wind and would say something. Interesting that they too assume one simply was not deployed instead of having blown away, which surely would be one of the first things they would have though of too. Just to note! And I believe their expertise way better than TP's "expertise" and statements.

 

[RedHaus]

In case anyone has information they would like to share with prosecutors litigating their case against TP starting 19/2. I so hope there is justice for KG.

Public Prosecutor's Office of the Innsbruck District Court

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ETA: drop box link