Disturbing footage: Climbing guide attacked a climber at an altitude of 3,000 meters
An argument over the right of way on a narrow and dangerous trail in the Alps turned into a violent confrontation, documented on the helmet camera of one of the climbers. The Austrian guide threatened the climber and physically confronted him. Following the incident, a police investigation was opened and the guide surrendered his license.
A dispute on a narrow mountain trail at an altitude of nearly 3,000 meters deteriorated into a dangerous confrontation after an Austrian climbing guide attacked a Polish climber. The incident occurred on an exposed section where a single mistake could result in a fatal fall.
The event took place on August 22 on the Grossglockner mountain in Austria. The Polish climber and his wife were descending, with the woman moving ahead using a rope on a steep section. According to the climber, he intentionally maintained a distance to ensure his wife's safety. However, an Austrian guide, accompanied by two clients, decided to cut between them.
In the helmet camera footage, the climber is heard asking the guide if he should have yielded. The guide refused and overtook them on the narrow path. The climber, angered by the conduct, confronted him:
"Are you out of your mind or what?" he asked.
The guide replied: "I am a mountain guide, shut up." The argument escalated as the two exchanged insults. At one point, the climber raised his middle finger, prompting the guide to threaten: "Shut up, or I will come up and hit you."
The guide then returned up the trail, passed the climber's wife, grabbed the climber by the arms, and shouted: "Behave properly." This took place on a narrow, exposed section, forcing other hikers to wait behind them.
The Polish climber later published the video online, explaining that while he has no issue with hikers overtaking others, the guide's conduct unnecessarily endangered those around him.
"A professional guide is expected to show basic courtesy, judgment, and above all, responsibility," he said. "The mountains belong to everyone, regardless of experience, abilities, or the pace of the hikers."
Following the incident, police in western Austria opened an investigation into the endangerment of others. The association of climbing guides in the Kless area terminated its cooperation with the guide, labeling his behavior unacceptable. The Austrian Association of Mountain Guides also initiated disciplinary proceedings, after which the guide surrendered his license.
