World ice climbing champion Harald Berger killed in ice collapse

[Wonk]

(MountEverest.net) Ice climbing world champion Harald Berger died yesterday when a massive block of ice fell on top of him. The accident took place during a training climb in the Icecapelle ice cave, near Hintersee-Flachau, Austria. Virtually the entire overhanging frozen 150-ton ceiling collapsed on Berger who was ice-bouldering below. The climber was buried under meters of ice. Three other climbers escaped unharmed.

The 34 year old Austrian was within days to become a dad. “He was to be a father at any hour... but it all came to an end beneath 150 tons of ice. For ever. The news of the disaster rendered me speechless, it took my breath away,” Harald’s friend Simone Moro told PlanetMountain.

“Harald refused to come to Mexico with me because he didn't want to leave his wife alone. He had almost completely quit BASE jumping to avoid risks and also planned to stay at home in 2007.”

Good bye to the Ice King

Born in northern Austria in 1972, Herald was a full-time climbing athlete and certified UIAGM guide. He opened several routes on rock, ice and mixed terrain, he won the world ice climb championships in the last three years, and ended up first in all world cup circuits in 2002, 2003 and 2006. Besides rock and ice climbing, Harald also did deep water diving, skydiving and BASE jumping.

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http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?news=15416

[Robbien]

1. He quit climbing too late

I wish peace and comfort to the loved ones he left behind.

[Botany]

2. the man loved life

[Squatch]

3. Sorta like what happened to Alex Lowe in 1999

In September 1999 Lowe, Anker and Bridges (the latter a USA national paragliding champion) traveled to the 26,291-foot Himalyan giant as part of the 1999 American Shishapangma Ski Expedition. Plans called for them to become the first Americans to ski down an 8,000-meter peak, in this case via the Swiss-Polish route on the South Face. During the roughly three-week trek to base camp, the elite team chronicled their deeds through photographic and written essays at MountainZone.com. On October 5, the trio were crossing a flat snow field already believed reasonably avalanche-safe when a massive serac broke loose 6,000 feet above and thundered toward them. Lowe first spotted the icy mass and yelled a warning. According to Anker, Lowe and Bridges may have attempted to escape by diving into a crevasse. Regardless, neither man escaped. Anker narrowly did. Anker, though injured with a lacerated head, two broken ribs, and dislocated shoulder, led a frantic, ultimately futile, rescue-recovery attempt that spanned a reported 20 hours in a large debris field measuring one to 20 feet deep. Neither Lowe nor Bridges were wearing an emergency location transponder, which might have helped rescuers pinpoint their bodies. Neither man was ever found.

[Az]

4. Eesh... thats horrible

Always take the time to tell the ones you care about how much you care. You just never know when you won't be able to any more.

[kenny blankenship]

5. Still...perfectly safe pursuit for reasonable people