In a video shot by a mountain guide, the holidaymaker can be seen completing a via ferrata to the highest point in Germany without any suitable equipment.
We knew the Germans’ attachment to sandals, at least according to a very persistent cliché. From there to equipping oneself with them to climb a mountain… However, this is what a German tourist did a few days ago when he wanted to reach the highest point in Germany, the Zugspitze, located in Bavaria. A viral video (see below), taken by a mountain guide and viewed 1.5 million times, shows the tourist climbing a ladder on the side of a cliff simply equipped with open shoes from a famous national brand.
Reinhold Messner, the first man to have climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks, responded to the “Birkenstock scandal” to the newspaper Bild : «This is just stupid. These are not real climbers. Everyone is responsible for their own life. If something happens, mountain rescuers will have to deal with it. Maybe he just wanted to provoke.»
A short but dangerous via ferrata
Every year, half a million visitors take the cable car or cogwheel train to reach Germany’s highest point with ease. At the top, a glass and steel platform, where cafés and restaurants gather, offers views of the country’s last two glaciers and Lake Eibsee. From there, visitors have the opportunity to climb a rock to a golden cross that marks both the summit of the 2,962-metre-high Zugspitze and the border with Austria.
Although the via ferrata is only about 20 metres long, visitors are advised to wear suitable footwear for high mountains due to the difficult terrain. It is a matter of one’s own safety and that of others. The Bavarian mountains can be deadly. This year, 35 people have already lost their lives there, compared to 41 in 2023, according to Bavarian Sports Minister Joachim Herrmann.
IN VIDEO – 4444 steps, 750 meters above sea level…This European tourist site is the most demanding to visit
”
data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js”
>
