Ever more people have accidents in the Alps, but a record number of them are now saved, thanks to the bravery and dedication of the volunteer rescue service.
we went along on an emergency drill with Innsbruck Mountain Rescue to see these heroes in action


I AM LYING on a stretcher, horizontally
suspended against the rock face. There is a
rock overhang above me and a 1700m abyss
below. My helmet and a foil survival blanket
are meant to shield me from the occasional
small rock that comes rattling downwards.
Curt commands fly back and forth: “One and a
half metres down! Stop!”

text available by ©Barbara Esser