Man left his girlfriend to freeze to death

[Trevordidit]

Man left his girlfriend to freeze when she was struggling on a mountain hike.

He's been found guilty of manslaughter.

So many aspects of his account don't make sense - AIBU to wonder if he did it on purpose?

News article

I have that horrible sinking feeling that his MO was to leave the slower partner and streak ahead - under the guise of getting help. Maybe to actually get help.

He did it to his ex girlfriend.

Also the report of Kerstin dialling 149 instead of 140 - an easy mistake as the judge said.

I have on my phone settings an emergency dial to my daughter. Rang it accidentally once. Her response was immediate.

Reading the reports it was definitely because he didn't act how someone of his experience would be expected to act. Nothing about how much expeience either of them had, or generally responsibilities for all of us. It was very specific to him. The judge says 'He should have known' not that everybody should know who does mountaineering or outdoor activities. Saying he was a great mountaineer showed his failings were even less excusable. I see the main take out that if you have the knowledge to deal with or reasonably anticipate a catostrophic event is likely to happen, then you should use that knowledge as best you can to prevent it or mitigate it. And if you make absolutely no attempt to do the right things your knowledge says should be done, then you can be held criminally liable.
Of course the question now is why he made those decisions.
All those involved in his prosecution and conviction would be well aware of the pressures in making decisions in those circumstances, some of them probably been there themselves, but they felt they were so bad that he needed to take criminal responsibility for them. It's hard to believe that those involoved in taking this action against him think he made genuine mistakes. At best he is a sociopath who can not feel empathy, at worst, well it's worse.

Yes, during the live tweet coverage of the trial, a witness climbed with them that day and said Thomas went ahead of Kirsten but looked back and asked how she was doing, etc.

19. February 2026; 15:07 “I dropped out of the tour” Also on the same day on the Glockner was another alpinist. “I finally canceled the tour because of the weather,” he says. Exciting: He had previously met the defendant and his girlfriend. “We exchanged ideas, even got up a part together,” says the man, “the Kerstin has gone behind us.” The defendant was spurting – that is, he went ahead. “We went a normal pace. The defendant has always looked at his girlfriend, for example, she asked how she was doing," he recalls.

www.krone.at/4049197#liveticker-entries-anchor-4049196

By that point, she could have turned around and gone down the way they came up and left him to summit the mountain by himself.

Is it that easy just to turn around & retrace your steps?

It might be if you're experienced in Alpine winter tours. If you're not, and Kerstin wasn't, and reliant on a vastly more experienced lead, galaxies ahead according to the judge, regarding Thomas P, then there's obviously a huge difficulty.

This isn't a hike, it's mountaineering.

I see, thank you for clarifying. This review from 2012 describes the route Thomas and Kerstin took, it really is climbing with ropes and stuff. I still don't understand what was going through Kerstin's mind: it took her/them twice the recommended time to reach Frushstuckplatz, what chance did she have of successfully reaching the summit and back down again? A few witnesses testified that they were on Grossglockner that day and turned back around the same time she reached Fruhstuckplatz. She could have turned back with them.

"There is one hardish, slippery pitch before the Fruhstuck (Breakfast ledge after 750m ascent) but bolts and stakes abound. Route finding is a bit wandery but you can usually spot the next stake. Bolts are all new and big. Yay!"
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/expedition+alpine/studlgrat_grossglockner-518588

19. February 2026; 15:16 Another group turned back And another witness testifies, who was on the road at the Glockner on the said day. This is an experienced alpinist. He wasn't traveling alone. “I went out from the south from 40 km/h of wind,” he says, “and I was convinced for a long time that we would reach the summit.” The wind was only “extremely gusty” over time. “Suddenly we got the first problems here,” he recalls, “my mountain partner said around 1 p.m. that she would cancel the tour.” The group reversed around 1:45 p.m. https://www.krone.at/4049197#liveticker-entries-anchor-4049196 [translated via Firefox Translate]

Imo it was a deliberate act.

This isn't a hike, it's mountaineering.

Well that's another thing.

Having wrong/inadequate equipment on a hike probably wouldn't be fatal.

It looks like he possibly was lying and left Kerstin already dead and dangling from a rope. The testimony of one of the police investigator:

19. February 2026; 19:35 “She was not wearing gloves” For the emergency services, we continued up to the summit. “We found the alpinist in a hanging position. She had the backpack on her back, her head stretched back. Her eyes were very wide open, she was not wearing gloves, the boots were open," he says, "for us it was a miracle that she remained in this position." With even stronger winds, “it would have crashed over the south wall.”

Now photos of the scene of the accident are shown. Again, Judge Norbert Hofer asks the witness detail questions. For example, “How does she get into such a position?” the judge asks.

The investigator, who is with the alpine task force, replies: “This is not explainable to me.” Hofer: “Could the accidented land like this due to a fall?” The policeman then: “No, actually not.” Kerstin did not wear gloves – not on either hand.

Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, from Dereham, Norfolk, died in February 2026 while hiking on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Eryri National Park, North Wales. The pair went missing during a, search and their bodies were discovered after a, rescue operation in, freezing, snowy conditions.
Norwich Evening News

This happened a few days ago. In Wales.

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/25875152.bodies-two-dereham-men-found-eryri-mountain-range/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y6k450247o

It's breaking news.

It can be fatal especially if people don't have adequate footwear or rain gear and warm clothing in case the weather turns.

That's so sad. People continue to seriously underestimate Yr Wyddfa and forget there were very good reasons the 1950s Everest Expedition trained there.

Well that's why I put probably.

Obviously time of year & where you are hiking make a difference.

Seems that social media is fuelling over optimistic novices to try things which can be fatal. Needs to be a re education campaign imo

People die every winter on the Scottish hills, not necessarily mountaineering, often just hillwalking. I do find the lack of provisions they were carrying inexplicable- and that is on both of them To set off on a long tough day just with gummie bears is reckless before you’ve taken your first step.

Tbf I'd say anything that involves hiking above the snowline is mountaineering - so what would be a hike in summer is a completely different prospect in winter, and requires the correct gear.

People DEFINITELY underestimate the Scottish hills.

The lack of provisions is incredibly suspicious and the alpinists in the courtroom were visibly shocked at that. Kerstin was a novice on winter tours, her partner, who several times in court said she was the one, his true love, and he was the vastly more experienced, should have checked

Provisions
Equipment
Safe codes
Conditions

He failed to do any of the above.

If she had it, why couldn't he?

I think it's the ex girlfriends testimony that I think the judge must have overlooked, misunderstood, been biased against . Could anyone tell me what she said, if she was credible , if there is any more information?

You have to wonder did Kerstin have any friends? She posted regularly on Insta.

If I was going on a tour like that, I'd be on WhatsApp and saying doing this, can't wait.

It's a huge thing to winter tour, especially the highest mountain.

You mean hypothermia?
Well the fact remains that he was well enough to summit and then descend the other side of the mountain. So he can’t have been that bad.

She said that on descent on the same mountain, she was dizzy, had a headache and her head battery had run out. She screamed and signalled to Thomas P. He ignored her and left her to descend herself without support. Andrea felt terrified. She survived.