Ice climbing is fascinating, but also dangerous. Two weeks ago, the Austrian extreme climber Thomas Bubendorfer survived with plenty of luck a ten-meter-fall from an icy waterfall in the Dolomites. The 54-year-old had landed in a creek bed and had suffered serious injuries. For a week, Bubendorfer was held in an artificial coma. Earlier this week, he was transferred to the Salzburg University Hospital. He is out of danger, addressable and does not have to be given artificial respiration anymore, said a hospital spokesperson.

Even before Thomas’ accident, I had talked to Matthias Scherer. The 42-year-old is a professional ice climber; since 1993 he has climbed more than 500 frozen waterfalls in Europe and Canada. Born in Frankfurt, he has been living and climbing along with his wife Tanja Schmitt in Cogne in the Aosta Valley, on the south side of Mont Blanc.

Matthias, is there something like a network between ice climbers, over which you communicate where the best ice conditions prevail?

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The Austrian extreme climber Thomas Bubendorfer had a ten-meter-fall during ice climbing in the Italian Dolomites and was very seriously injured. According to Italian media reports, the condition of the 54-year-old has improved slightly, but is still critical. The accident happened on Wednesday. Bubendorfer was climbing with a partner on a frozen waterfall in the gorge Serrai di Sottoguda on the Marmolada, a popular ice climbing area. For unknown reasons, he fell and landed in a creek bed.

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