Visitors warned to heed the deadly risks of hiking the Alps

The countless signs on Austria’s Alps have not halted the numbers of serious accidents and deaths here. — BERNHARD KRIEGER/dpa

Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts travelling to Austria’s Alps are being warned of the deadly risks after an uptick in deaths and serious accidents in mountainous areas.

Of the 266 people who died in 2023 while hiking, skiing and climbing on mountains, most died due to cardio-vascular problems, says the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS) in an annual review published in late January.