Austrian climber Thomas Plamberger has gone on a trial after his lover Kerstin Gurtner froze to death on Grossglockner, which is called out to be Austria's tallest peak, in January last year.
The couple was said to be trying to ascend the tall mountain in freezing conditions when all of a sudden, the surroundings got worse and made climbing further all the more difficult.
Temperatures started to plunge far below freezing, and strong winds. Prosecutors claim Gurtner was far less experienced in high altitude climbing and started to get tired very quickly.
This included disorientation and hypothermia kicking in all of a sudden, about 50 meters below the summit. Meanwhile, Plamberger was described as a more seasoned alpinist who planned this tour. He left her alone and went to seek help, returning hours later only to find that she died from hypothermia overnight.
He is now arguing that the gross negligent manslaughter charges against him be dropped by authorities, as he was only doing what was right at that moment and only left his lover alone because she insisted.
Gurtner's family has mourned her loss and urged respect for her memory amid all the legal proceedings.