Photo: makasana/Getty Images

Bodies of Five Skiers Found Below 13,000' Peak

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated May 27, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The bodies of five deceased skiers have been found on the Adler glacier below the summit of the Rimpfischhorn, a Swiss peak near the resort town Zermatt, according to a statement published on Sunday by Valais cantonal police.

On Saturday, two mountaineers discovered four abandoned pairs of skis while they were climbing the Rimpfischhorn but didn’t encounter the equipment’s owners, so they alerted rescuers, police and Air Zermatt said.

An Air Zermatt helicopter with rescuers and a doctor on board flew over the area and quickly discovered the five bodies.

Radio Télévision Suisse reported that three of the bodies were located about 1,600 feet below the abandoned equipment on an avalanche cone. The other two bodies were found about 600 feet higher in a small snowy area.

A backcountry skier approaches Rimpfischhorn near Zermatt, Switzerland. Stock image.Photo: makasana/Getty Images

Formal identification of the victims is ongoing, according to the police statement. The Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the circumstances of the incident.

Standing at 13,776 feet, the Rimpfischhorn lies east of Zermatt and is frequented by backcountry travelers.

Before discovering the bodies on the Adler glacier, Air Zermatt said in a statement that it had undergone what it called a “challenging mission” involving the rescue of two two-man rope teams on the Fiescherhörner.

The climbing teams had been surprised by wind and fog.

During the rescue Friday evening, an Air Zermatt crew was forced to turn back due to adverse weather conditions. Then, after midnight, the crew made another attempt and managed to save the four climbers by executing a “precise hovering maneuver,” according to the Air Zermatt statement.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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