Austrian Climber Charged After Girlfriend Freezes Near Summit in Deadly Ascent [WATCH]

Kerstin Gutner, 33, has been identified as the woman who died near the summit of Grossglockner mountain in Austria on Jan. 19 during a night ascent with her boyfriend, experienced mountaineer Thomas Plamberger.

Gutner died less than 150 feet from the summit after the pair attempted the climb in winter conditions that reached -4 degrees Fahrenheit, according to reports.

Gutner, a Salzburg native, had described herself on social media as a “winter child” and a “mountain person.”

Authorities said she was an inexperienced climber compared to Plamberger, 39, who had planned the high-altitude excursion.

Nature isn’t a holiday camp—it’s raw power. Ignore that truth, and it can kill you. Kerstin, who called herself a “winter child” and “mountain person”, embodied devotion to the peaks, but love alone doesn’t shield against the cold.

Kerstin Gurtner, 33, froze to death just below… pic.twitter.com/WedGN0d75h

— Xaldwin Sealand (@XaldwinSealand) December 6, 2025

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Prosecutors in Innsbruck announced negligent homicide charges against Plamberger, outlining a series of decisions they say contributed to Gutner’s death during the overnight climb that spanned more than 12,000 feet.

“At approximately 2:00 a.m., the defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented about 50 meters below the summit cross of the Grossglockner. The woman froze to death. Since the defendant, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

According to prosecutors and local reporting from Heute, the pair were stranded beginning at 8:50 p.m. but Plamberger did not make an emergency call when a police helicopter passed nearby at 10:50 p.m.

Webcam images later showed the couple’s camp near the peak where Gutner was eventually found dead.

Authorities said Plamberger contacted Alpine Police officers at 1:35 a.m. before placing his phone on silent.

Prosecutors allege that approximately half an hour later he left Gutner on the mountain and did not cover her with available emergency blankets.

A trail camera captured him descending the route alone at 2:30 a.m., with Gutner still near the summit area.

At 3:30 a.m., he reached out to emergency services again, according to the report.

Plamberger’s attorney, Kurt Jelinek, said his client maintains his innocence, calling the events “a tragic, fateful accident,” according to The Daily Mail’s reporting on the case.

Tributes were posted on a memorial page for Gutner.

“Rest in heavenly peace,” one commenter wrote.

Another message read, “Behind the tears of grief lies the smile of remembrance.”

A third tribute said, “Deeply saddened to learn of this death, I wish to express my condolences. Impossible to find the right words.”

Authorities confirmed that Plamberger was formally charged on Thursday.

His trial is expected to begin in February.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.