Brit, 42, falls to his death while climbing metal ladder 300ft up Austrian mountain
19 September 2023, 08:31
A British climber has fallen 300ft to his death after scaling a ladder on an Austrian mountain.
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The unnamed man, aged 42, fell off the end of the ladder in the Dachstein Mountains near Salzburg, Austria, on September 12.
Two helicopter crews rushed to the scene but could not save the man.
The Brit was reportedly climbing the ladder alone and any third-party negligence has been ruled out.
His body was retrieved from the gully beneath the ladder by rescuers.
A police spokesperson said the incident was an "accident".
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The ladder is referred to as a Via Ferrata, which is Italian for 'iron path', with many of its climbers referring to it as a 'stairway to heaven'.
The path leads to the summit of the Großer Donnerkogel mountain. Climbing experts have warned that it is very exposed.
The area is a popular tourist attraction, with more than 3,500 posts about the location on Instagram alone.
In 2020, extreme athlete Stefanie Millinger balanced on the ladder in a ballet costume without a harness.
