Overview
- Five German climbers died on All Saints' Day when an avalanche struck on the route to the Vertainspitze in the Ortler massif.
- Reinhold Messner expressed sorrow and said reports indicated the group was well-equipped and the weather seemed favorable, while urging against speculating about causes.
- The mountain rescue service said there was no particularly high avalanche danger at the time of the incident.
- The party reportedly started from Sulden in the morning without skis, and the avalanche released around 15:30 as daylight was fading.
- Messner warned that warming has increased instability in alpine terrain and cautioned that modern gear and indoor training cannot eliminate exposure to unpredictable natural forces.