Markus Kronthaler

Markus Kronthaler ( born April 5, 1967 in Kufstein, † July 8th, 2006 at Broad Peak, Pakistan ) was an Austrian mountain guide and mountaineer.

Alpinistisches life

At the age of 15 years Kronthaler climbed difficult routes in the climbing mountains of the Wilder Kaiser. After a businessman training 1986, he was buried in an avalanche at the Wilder Kaiser. Through this experience, he began several years of training courses, from which he graduated as a certified mountain and ski guides. From 1988 to 2003 he belonged to the federal police as Alpine gendarme. After a difficult mountain rescue him 1999, the Austrian lifesaver medal was awarded. From 2003 he was working as a full mountain guide in Kufstein. More and more, he moved to high altitude mountaineering. Be particularly important to him alpine historical events appeared to work up and follow in the footsteps of pioneers of extreme mountaineering. Medial interests, commercial success or new records he did not pursue it. Only through his numerous multimedia presentations he gained wider notoriety. On 4 May 2005 he was honored by the city of Kufstein Sportsman of the Year 2004. On 7 January 2006, he withdrew on Totenkirchl in a crash with a snow cornice over 100 meters, a chest bruise and other injuries. He owed only to the fact that he on sufficient snow fell between rocks Its survival. This accident did not stop him from continuing to look for its limits.

Expeditions

In 2000 Kronthaler was allowed to attend the four-member Austrian Gendarmerie Mountain Guides expedition to Shishapangma. It was possible to ski even if used. Kronthaler reached the central summit of the eight- thousand-meter. The main peak was not reached.

There followed in 2002 a successful ascent of Ama Dablam.

The year 2004 was marked by the ascent of Nanga Parbat. The six-piece Austrian Nanga Parbat Edelweiss Expedition 2004 " Mount Doom of the Germans" was directed by Kronthaler itself. Background was a " mountaineering " reclamation of the historic Nanga Parbat expeditions from 1932 to 1939 and 1953, as well as the person Peter Aschenbrenner, who was the only survivor of the German Nanga Parbat Expedition 1934 together with Erwin Schneider. Previously, the Muztagata should be climbed. Due to persistent bad weather, however, only a height of about 7400 m could be achieved. The weather conditions in the Kinshofer route of the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat, the most frequented path were equally unfavorable. The advancement in the ascent was delayed, forcing Kronthaler at nightfall hundred meters below the summit to reverse. A Saxon group of climbers who reached the summit in the dark, fell in mountain rescue. A climber died in a crash during the descent, two others lost their way and were found at the end of their tether. Kronthaler and his group stayed one day and one more night in the death zone on bearing 4 to provide the ailing German mountaineer and bring to the valley. The different messages and representations of events triggered some intense media reactions. Kronthaler processed these experiences coupled with meticulous historical research in highly acclaimed multi-media presentations in Austria and Germany.

On 21 May 2006 Kronthaler set out to climb Broad Peak and the Chogolisa in the course of the expedition in the footsteps of Hermann Buhl. The ten-member team consisted of experienced mountain guides and mountain rescue teams. Since this expedition was marked by bad weather, climbing Chogolisa had to be abandoned prematurely. Only after weeks of besieging of Broad Peak and just before the expiry Besteigungspermits broke Kronthaler together with Sepp Bachmair and Peter Ressmann on the night of 5th-6th July, 2006 by Camp 3 (approx. 6950 m) to the summit. To save weight for the ascent, they let all the water and food in the camp. Peter Ressman reached the lower summit on July 6 at about 17 clock, the main peaks around an hour later. On the night he came back to the camp still 3, where he drove from about 7500 m on skis. In the descent he was hit below the Vorgipfels on Kronthaler and Bachmair, which bivouacked in a snow cave (about 7950 m). They both sat on the next morning the climb continued, but was particularly Kronthaler result of water shortages progressing more slowly, so that they only reached the main summit on July 7, between 15 and 15:30 clock. On the descent to Das Kronthaler condition deteriorated rapidly. Despite numerous attempts Bachmairs, Kronthaler through support, carry or drag to move forward, it did not manage them during the night to overcome the opposite slope to the lower summit. On the morning of July 8 Kronthaler died from exhaustion and dehydration at the summit of Broad Peak. Bachmair it still managed alone to about 7800 m. Upon further descent to base camp, he received support from the Polish climber Piotr Morawski and the Spanish doctor Jorge Egocheaga. Morawski broke to help in his climb to the summit immediately, yet it reached two days later still alone the summit. Egocheaga had only two days previously completed the ascent of Broad Peak in 21 hours and had to help once again risen in eight hours from base camp up to an altitude of about 7300 m. A recovery of the body of Kronthaler not been possible, he was left unburied on the mountain. The expedition and the death of Markus Das Kronthaler were by Jochen Hemmleb in the book Broad Peak - documented dream and nightmare.

Salvage expedition

A year later, on June 17, 2007 broke Georg Kronthaler, brother of Markus Kronthaler, on a five-member team to recover the body of Broad Peak. In the course of the expedition, a memorial plaque was placed in Urdukas. Fortunately, at the same time several expeditions on the mountain, so the rescuers greater security could be offered. Despite adverse weather conditions, the team was on July 20, with significant support from Pakistani rescuers to recover the body Markus Das Kronthaler, which was the highest ever recovery of a corpse. With a specially developed for this project rescue bag 's body could be brought in stages to the base camp at 5000 m. Kronthaler was transferred to Austria in early August 2007, cremated and buried in Kufstein. After this expedition Georg Kronthaler Markus Kronthaler Mountain Rescue Foundation has established. Through her various social projects are realized, but especially Pakistani mountain guide are supported in training to mountain rescuers.