Two Czech groups rescued after getting into trouble in Salzkammergut
Sunday 9th August 2026 on 11:00 in
Austria
Two groups of Czech holidaymakers had to be rescued from the mountains in Upper Austria’s Salzkammergut on Saturday, ORF reported. Exhausted climbers were flown to safety by police helicopter in two separate incidents.
In the first case, four young Czechs followed an unmarked route on Traunstein after using a tour description found online. They had initially planned to descend via the Traunsee climbing route but apparently did not realise how demanding it would be.
After abandoning that route, the group used the online description to look for an alternative. They reached the unmarked Zierlersteig in the evening and eventually lost their way. The two 22-year-old women in the group were already completely exhausted when one of the men called for help. The helicopter brought all four safely down from an elevation of more than 1,200 metres.
In Gosau, another Czech family had to be rescued from the mountains on Saturday evening. The family had taken a wrong turn while descending from Donnerkogel. The hike became too much for their 10-year-old daughter, who was so exhausted that they could no longer continue the descent without assistance.
The mountain rescue service said the current influx of visitors to the Inner Salzkammergut’s mountains was contributing to the number of emergencies. Spectacular social media images of peaks and climbing routes were attracting holidaymakers to tours they sometimes underestimated.
“They post the Himmelsleiter and everyone wants to go up there,” said Christian Egger of the Gosau mountain rescue service. The popular climbing route can even develop long queues, with many people waiting for hours to reach the start.
High temperatures and recurring afternoon thunderstorms are also increasing the risks. Egger said many mountaineers were setting out too late and then encountering storms during their tours.
The mountain rescue service said many emergencies could be prevented with proper equipment, suitable footwear and realistic tour planning. It urged hikers and via ferrata users not to follow online routes uncritically, to assess their abilities honestly and to consider the weather forecast and walking times before setting out.