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Alpinforum 2025
The Alpine Forum, organized by the Austrian Alpine Safety Board (ÖKAS), is an annual conference dedicated to specialist Alpine issues. It is aimed at experts, multipliers, and interested parties from the professional world. In addition to accident prevention, the main task of the ÖKAS, the Alpine Forum at the Alpine Fair has also served since 2006 to inform, educate, exchange ideas, and network.
The Alpine Forum covers a wide range of topics related to alpine accidents, including risk management, equipment & technology, and legal issues. These are presented, discussed, or examined in more detail in workshops and tutorials. Speakers from various disciplines present best practices and new findings. The international focus of the event enables a comprehensive exchange of knowledge and experience across national borders.
The Alpinforum …
- is an annual event on the latest findings in alpine and high-altitude sports
- is a platform for promoting safety and personal responsibility on the mountain
- offers a comprehensive training programme for mountain sports through cooperation with all alpine institutions
- is aimed at all those who are interested in safety on the mountain
- is primarily aimed at multipliers in mountain sports and the mountaineering public
- imparts specialised knowledge and skills through renowned speakers
- concludes with an exciting panel discussion
Program *
local mountains, overexertion on high-altitude trails
Moderators: Robert Wallner & Peter Plattner
8.30 a.m. | Admission
9.00 a.m. | Opening & Welcome
- 9.00 a.m. - Welcome by Peter Paal, President of ÖKAS
- 9.10-09.30 a.m. - Welcome address & opening speech
Tyrol, the land in the mountains – The mountains as part of our identity
Governor Anton Mattle
9.30-11.10 a.m. | Topic block #1: Tourism, sports, and ethics - from the 8,000-meter peaks to the Alps
- 9.30-9.50 a.m. - Everest – The end of the adventure?
Lukas Furtenbach - 9.50-10.05 a.m. - Xenon in high-altitude medicine – facts and fiction
Michael Fries - 10.05-10.25 a.m. - Nordwand Trilogy
Phillip Brugger - 10.25-10.40 a.m. - Caught between commerce and values – medication use in (high-altitude) mountaineering
Urs Hefti - 10.40-11.10 a.m. - Keynote speech & panel discussion: And where does ethics come in - in the 8000s and in our lives today?
P. Paal, Ph. Brugger, L. Furtenbach, U. Hefti, M. Fries, H. Eisendle
11.10-11.30 a.m. - Break
11.30 a.m.-12.50 p.m. | Topic block #2: Mountain crazy! What makes mountaineers tick?
- 11.30–11.50 a.m. - Why we mountaineers are the way we are – An attempt at an empirical assessment.
Hanspeter Eisendle - 11.50 a.m.–12.10 p.m. - “Mountain fever” – where does the fun end?
Katharina Hüfner - 12.10–12.30 p.m. - Respect, fear, panic... & measures
Alexis Zajetz - 12.30–1.00 p.m. - Discussion – What is “normal” in the mountains?
H. Eisendle, K. Hüfner, A. Zajetz, R. Obendorfer
1.00-2.00 p.m. - Lunch Break
1.00-3.05 p.m. | Topic block #3: Mountain hiking: accidents, trail classification, and digital aids
- 2.00-2.10 p.m. - Hiking accidents: figures, data, and facts from alpine accident statistics
Susanna Mitterer & Alpine Police - 2.10-2.30 p.m. - Launch of the AlpsWatch project – natural hazard observations via app
LR Mario Gerber, Michael Rosendorfer, Martin Rutzinger - 2.30-2.45 p.m. - DIGIWAY – Geodata for safety in the mountains
Lucia Felbauer & Klaus Pietersteiner & Christoph Kovacs - 2.45-3.05 p.m. - Trail classification in mountain hiking—a key to greater safety?
Walter Würtl
3.05-3.30 p.m. - Break
3.30-5.15 p.m.| Topic block #4: Winter – Avalanches and other dangers!
- 3.30-3.50 p.m. - Avalanche? Fall, cold, and more! The underestimated causes of accidents on ski tours and off-piste skiing
Gerhard Mössmer - 3.50-4.10 p.m. - How to survive being completely buried
Peter Plattner - 4.10-4.30 p.m. - The reality of being completely buried - A personal account from Norway
Stephan Birkmaier - 4.30-5.15 p.m. - When snow fails – and avalanche research
Jürg Schweizer
5.30 - Farewell and end of the event
* Subject to change.
REVIEW 2024
The Alpinforum 2024 focused on the main theme of “Change and Adaptation” and offered participants a series of informative lectures, exciting interviews, and stimulating panel discussions.
