The climber left his girlfriend to freeze to death in temperatures of -20C (Image: jung.gemeinsam-trauern.net)
A climber who left his girlfriend to die on Austria’s highest mountain has been found guilty of manslaughter. Thomas Plamberger, 39, stood trial on Thursday (February 19) after his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, 33, died just 150ft below the summit of the 12,460ft Grossglockner in January last year in temperatures as low as -20C.
He was accused of leaving Gurtner “exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented” while he went to get help, after his trial opened in Innsbruck on Thursday. Judges handed Plamberger a five-month suspended sentence and a €9,600 (£8,400) fine. The defendant told the court: “I am incredibly sorry. I loved her,” admitting: “I hadn’t thought about a rescue blanket or her bivouac sack. It was a stressful and exceptional situation”. Plamberger also claimed: “She wanted me to go and get help”. The verdict – which is not yet legally binding – came after more than 13 hours of deliberations.
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According to prosecutors, Ms Gurtner’s strength gave out just below the peak on the night of January 19, 2025, shortly before the couple were due to reach Grossglockner’s 12,460ft summit. Plamberger then descended alone, with rescuers later finding her body on the mountainside at around 10am. By the time an alert was formally raised at 3.30am, fierce winds reportedly prevented helicopters from flying.
Prosecutors said he made “a multitude of errors” that night, including allegedly setting off two hours late despite severe winter conditions and failing to carry sufficient emergency equipment.
Passing the sentence, Trial Judge Norbert Hofer said: “The impression I have got from these proceedings is that this was a case of leaving at any cost. You are an excellent mountaineer but Kerstin’s abilities were galaxies away. She lacked winter experience. But you definitely should have turned back and you should have realised that.”
The defendant said he himself “with videos” and claimed his girlfriend was almost as knowledgeable and skilled at mountain climbing as he was: “I may have done more tours, but she knew exactly what she was getting into,” he told the packed courtroom.
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Kerstin Gurtner’s body was found just 150ft below the summit of the 12,460ft Grossglockner, Austria (Image: Supplied)
However, the judge said parts of his account did not match the evidence. A photograph shown in court reportedly depicted Ms Gurtner hanging freely from a rock face, suggesting she had fallen. Plamberger claimed he had left her at a different location. The head of the mountain rescue team confirmed the inconsistency, telling the court it appeared Ms Gurtner had attempted to climb down.
The proceedings followed a lengthy 11-month investigation in which prosecutors examined mobile phones, sports watches and photographs from the climb. Webcam images show the glow of the couple’s two headtorches as they slowly edge towards the summit at around 6pm – almost 12 hours after setting off – then, hours later, only one light is seen as it moves down. At 7.10am webcam footage captured a helicopter over the mountain, but the rescue mission had to be aborted.
Shockingly, the court also heard claims that this was not the first time Plamberger had allegedly abandoned a partner in treacherous conditions. In a letter said to have been written by an ex-girlfriend to his brother, read aloud in court, the woman claimed he had “left her in a desperate situation” during a winter hike on the Grossglockner after a “heated argument” about the difficulty of the tour.
On the eve of the trial, Ms Gurtner’s mother publicly backed Plamberger, criticising media coverage of the case, saying it made her angry that her daughter was being portrayed as “a naïve little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain”. “And I think it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being treated. There’s a witch hunt against him in the media and online.” Despite her support, the court ruled that Plamberger’s actions amounted to negligent homicide.
