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A backcountry ski tour in Val Senales cost the former president of the Raiffeisen Bank South Tyrol, Michael gruener, 65, and his wife Monika gamper, 52 years. The well-known lawyer from Bolzano was in charge of the Landesbank for 23 years, until last June, when he took his place Hanspeter Fields.
Gruener was a very experienced ski mountaineer, having also climbed the peaks ofHimalayas. Yet the perfect snow, as is rarely found at this time of year, a few days off, and the desire for a breath of fresh air in the mountains of the border range were fatal. The couple was in the valley and had decided to take a trip with them. seal skins, as they often did. the avalanche danger in much ofSouth tyrolHowever, after the snowfall these days, it was high (grade 3 out of 5). Nothing prohibitive for an expert in ski touring like Gruener. But today something went wrong with the slope assessment in the Mount croce, maybe because of him fog. Around 1:40 p.m. one tap separated at an altitude of 2,500 meters, overwhelming the pair. The alarm was raised by other mountain skiers, who had noticed the man and woman a little earlier and never saw them again after the avalanche.
Rescue was made particularly difficult due to poor visibility. Since Brressanone the helicopter took off Pelikan 2, while the neighbor Austria another way. Only after several attempts did the rescuers of Senales Mountain manage to climb to the top, while spending precious minutes on the couple’s survival. Thanks to’Think (avalanche search device), the two were located under the snow and released, but for Michael Gruener there was nothing else to do. The long attempt to revive his wife was also futile: the rescuers had nothing left to do but transport the bodies of the couple, who leave an 18-year-old daughter in the morgue in Naturno.
News of the tragedy spread quickly in Val Senales and in Bolzano, where the two were well known. Monika Gamper was originally from Cermes, in Val Venosta, and worked in the communications sector. Michael Gruener was born in Merano, but originally from Val Senales. The most important stages of his professional life, however, took place in Bolzano. In fact, he was a partner in a well-known law firm and for 23 years he had been president of South Tyrol’s rural banks, Raiffeisen Landesbank. Gruener was also well known in the world of mountaineering and skiing. The mountains were his great passion.
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