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

[Queen of the Winter Night]

Nothing you can dig up about this guy is gonna make you think better of him. Let's put it this way.

Oh I wonder what his previous ex-gfs would say about him more!

 

[beubeubeu]

I wasn't clear that my purpose of posting the guide website's description of the Studlgrat was to point out how they were "glossing over" a bit. I could see how Kerstin looked at that and wanted to do it, or TP showed her something like that to say how she could do it with what they've done that year. The guide site may have bee trying to attract customers, and there may be more guide sites like that, which could lead someone to think it was ok. But if they had actually hired such a guide, they would have assessed them and their gear, and told them to go try another mountain, but not this mountain, or route, in January.

I wouldnt hire a guide to guide me up the mountain ive climbed several times.

But I wouldnt feel good with perspective of my partner skiing down unknown route while i walk down. Its not regular skiing route, not just a Hill. What if they hit on some rock or fell into a crevice? I dont know in advance if other people will be around. If or how many snowboarding/ski tracks will be there. These are mountains, it can get snowy at random moment. Night comes and what then? How im going to find them?

How this plan could even sound good?

 

[beubeubeu]

Digging through instagram Ive foud post from a guy who climbed Studlgrat in January of different year. Three people. No specific hour provided but the time of their start is described as "middle of the night".
One of these three people started feeling bad due to altitude and turned back down half way up. There is a pic, its above the breakfast spot. Seems to be experienced climber. Could be a difference for Kerstin, cant tell if there were some parts of the route that felt unsafe to try to get through alone.
So its not that they couldnt turn back. Together they could do that.

 

[RedHaus]

Here is yet another video, no snow but probably much better feeling of weather condition on that day - just without bunch of snow and frost.

...and without frigid temps and ~45mph wind.

And they keep saying thats the exact spot, 50m below the summit 43:57 on the video below.

So you think this is about where KG was found deceased - left behind by TP with no bivvy, thermal blankets or rock barrier to protect her from wind?

Is this the zone called Snow Ramps - more rolling terrain than jagged rock of lower sections?

~43:00:

 

[beubeubeu]

Apparently its a thing to "open seasons" on the route by climbing it first every year. It doesnt seem to be that big of a deal and I havent noticed any competitive comment about it.
Anything can grow up to huge deal and the matter of honor if there is a tension build up over it, or a bet made. I cant see it as it could matter here but neither does anything else.
Despite of what I've said and think about Thomas Im still trying to come up with SOME motive that could somewhat explain making ALL these "bad decisions" in all stages of this trip.
And I still dont have anything.
Cause what? Some sort of psychosis that he got into not long before, somehow kept it all together so Kerstin wasnt able to notice or get concerned? But then what? He got magically healed and nobody noticed still? Not possible, that whole ordeal and outcome would cause so much additional stress that psychosis would have to turn much more intense and it wouldnt be a thing to miss.
The other lousy theory could be that it was his lifestyle and kept doing it always. But it doesnt make sense either. Like... excuse me, but shouldnt that guy be dead? He should be dead. How could he possibly survive so many high altitude climbs if he kept doing it so wrong each thing would turn up to be russian roulette?

Btw. I also found some pics from people climbing Grossglockner via normal route in winter.
I guess much depends on the temperature and the type of snow and how much of it appeared in what time BUT that terrain there is so steep theyre crawling up in snow. Not walking, not climbing, as there is nothing to climb on yet - theyre crawling up in the deep snow. It does not look as bad as Studlgrat, but pretty freaking far from looking easy.

 

[beubeubeu]

So you think this is about where KG was found deceased - left behind by TP with no bivvy, thermal blankets or rock barrier to protect her from wind?

Is this the zone called Snow Ramps - more rolling terrain than jagged rock of lower sections?

View attachment 632088

~43:00:

This is where several people in vids stated thats 50m below the summit. Theyre showing the same exact place. Below that there is nothing really to even try to lie on. Above its bit of that and lots of climbing up almost vertically - she couldnt be there. And the next kinda snowyramp looking thing is like 20ish m below the summit. Its visible in the video where they interview the mountain guide as theyre getting Kerstin's body up. So its just my assumption that they wouldnt say 50m below if it was just 20, maybe 25. Especially that there is some flattyish looking parts of the route right above the 50m. Relying on that Im assuming that it has to be there.

I dont think that you can really assume that person left in such a place will still be alive after 2-3 hours of descend and the ultra fast heli flight. Possible, yes, but not certain.

 

[RedHaus]

I dont think that you can really assume that person left in such a place will still be alive after 2-3 hours of descend and the ultra fast heli flight. Possible, yes, but not certain.

RSBM
Let's not forget, the words of Mountaineering Guide Peter Suntinger, who has climbed Grossglockner at least 200 times. He said in the video on p.14 (post #266) that when TP decided to leave KG at 2:00am: "...from that moment on it was her death sentence."
That's a pretty stunning damnation of TP. I have to believe Mr. Suntinger will be on the witness stand in February.

 

[katydid23]

RSBM
Let's not forget, the words of Mountaineering Guide Peter Suntinger, who has climbed Grossglockner at least 200 times. He said in the video on p.14 (post #266) that when TP decided to leave KG at 2:00am: "...from that moment on it was her death sentence."
That's a pretty stunning damnation of TP. I have to believe Mr. Suntinger will be on the witness stand in February.

I hope so. It seems like a very important statement for the jury to understand.

 

[beubeubeu]

I hope so. It seems like a very important statement for the jury to understand.

Im afraid not. Without very clear presentation of each element of this abominable expedition even something what sounds and feels so horrible is easily brushed off by the terrible weather condition, stress, exhaustion and so on - and maybe even it should be as, if that was the only "mistake", or one of the few, it could very well be just a horrible horrible decision which at the very worst would lead to something like six months, suspended.
In my opinion he should absolutely NOT be to look at as someone who left their companion in terrible circumstances but didnt have such a long list of outrageously neglectful and evil decisions. Its not even like he endangered only Kerstin's and possibly his own life with every single one of these 12 points I listed earlier. He also increased the health and lives of rescuers, no matter if he considered calling them at any point of that trip from the start to finish.
And he should get no support from other climbers. If theyre giving him any, theyre a problem too cause he broke so many rules its outrageous.