Riding the razor's edge Risky action on a narrow Alpine ridge heats things up

A trail runner posts a video of his crossing of the Watzmann ridge in the German Alps. He has to take a lot of criticism for it. His clip is not for the faint-hearted and is pretty spectacular.

The Watzmann is one of the highest mountains in the German Alps, a myth whose difficult crossing repeatedly calls for the help of rescue teams. Often enough, they can only recover the bodies of mountaineers who have had accidents.

Richard Utzmeier feels at home on the Watzmann. The 27-year-old is a mountaineer and trail runner. He climbs and runs through the Berchtesgaden Alps several times a week.

He posts videos of his tours on Instagram. His sometimes spectacular films are usually viewed 2000 to 4000 times.

Does a "neurotransmitter junkie" want to be celebrated?

But the last video was viewed more than 1.5 million times - and sparked a fierce debate. Is it a video "to make everyone say you're the hero?" asks one user. "The main thing is that it looks like a ride on the razor's edge," one user suspects. Others are upset about the mountain rescue team, "who have to pluck neurotransmitter junkies like that out of the mountain at the risk of their lives".

The 32 seconds are undeniably spectacular. Or as one user puts it: "I'm getting sweaty palms watching it." In the clip, Utzmeier is out and about on the Watzmann ridge in the early morning: standing upright, unsecured, with steep rock faces on both sides. The wide-angle perspective makes the Watzmann crossing seem even more daring.

Richard Utzmeier does not understand why he has been criticized for his video, accused of sensationalism and recklessness. In an interview with Der Spiegel, he assures us that he was "as always well prepared" for the crossing. Everything was just right: the weather, his physical and mental condition, the equipment.

Mountains are not an adventure playground

Even for experienced mountaineers, the classic route in the Berchtesgaden Alps is a long day trip. It takes around 12 hours to conquer the 2350 meters in altitude. Utzmeier, who runs the route as a trail runner, completes the entire crossing in just over five hours. But it's better not to follow his example.

"I've already done the tour two or three times," says Utzmeier. I've been hiking in the mountains since I was a child." The fact that he is walking upright over the ridge may look dangerous to non-alpinists. "But I'm sure-footed and make faster and easier progress this way."

However, Utzmeier also strongly warns against trying to imitate him. "The Watzmann crossing is an alpine tour and is only recommended for really experienced people who have already done something similar."

He sees how people's personal responsibility is diminishing. "They see the mountains as an adventure playground." Under no circumstances should you go into the mountains with the expectation that everything is safe and that the mountain rescue service will come in an emergency.