Avalanche in Italy's Dolomite mountains kills five German climbers

2025, November 4

Italy

On Saturday, Italy's Dolomites experienced an avalanche. Total dead included five German climbers. The avalanche happened around 4:00 p.m. CET (1500 UTC) on Saturday afternoon. The avalanche happened on Cima Vertana or (Vertainspitze) in the Ortler Alps. Cima Vertana has a 3,545-meter peak, in South Tyrol near the Swiss border. A father and daughter from a second group of climbers were taken down into a gully and died.

Rescuers said the hikers were climbing very late in the day. Two survivors were air lifted to a hospital in Bolzano. Reports say recent snow drifts did not bond with the under ice, creating the sliding. Another group of three people were buried in the snow and recovered deceased on Saturday evening.

Part of the search was made by Avalanche dog.