Thieves in Switzerland have conquered one of the country’s most challenging protected climbing routes.
They ascended to an altitude of 2,350m and traversed gorges on narrow steel cables – all to rob a collection box.
The box belongs to a local climbing club, which maintains Switzerland’s longest protected climbing route on the Gemmi pass above Leukerbad village.
What has caused the biggest shock is that the donation box is accessible only to the most experienced climbers.
The route, known as a via ferrata, is classed as level 5, the most difficult, and involves serious climbing as well as ascending ladders bolted into the vertical rock face, and traversing gorges on narrow steel cables.
“What kind of people are these?” wrote the climbing club on its Facebook page.
“The climbing club looks after the via ferrata for no salary, we don’t ask for anything, and now someone has stolen the money donated to maintain it.”
Those who discovered the theft believe it was carefully planned well in advance.
The donation box was found smashed open and empty. The thieves were not only good climbers, equipped with all the necessary mountaineering kit, they took the tools with them to break open the donation box “with brute force” the climbing club said.
Astonishingly, it appears they then continued their ascent, with the money, to the top of the Dauberhorn, at 2941 metres.
