In a shocking incident, thieves in Switzerland managed to ascend to an altitude of 2,350m on one of the country’s most difficult protected climbing routes to steal from a donation box. The box belonged to a local climbing club responsible for maintaining Switzerland’s longest protected climbing route. The route, known as a via ferrata, is classified as level 5, the most challenging level, and requires expert climbing skills, as it involves scaling ladders bolted into vertical rock faces and traversing gorges on narrow steel cables.
The climbing club, which looks after the via ferrata without any compensation, expressed their disbelief on their Facebook page, questioning the motives of the thieves. The theft was meticulously planned, as the donation box was found smashed open and emptied. The thieves, equipped with mountaineering gear, also brought tools to forcibly break into the box.
What is even more astonishing is that after stealing the money, the culprits continued their ascent to the summit of Dauberhorn, situated at an altitude of 2941 meters. Identifying the perpetrators could be challenging, as the good weather conditions in recent days attracted numerous mountaineers to the area.
While the exact amount stolen remains unknown, the climbing club estimates it to be at least 400-500 Swiss francs. In Switzerland, cash is still widely used, and voluntary contributions for maintaining hiking paths and climbing routes are expected and willingly given. However, incidents like this raise concerns among organizations that rely on donations, making them question the effectiveness of their current approach.
The prevalence of cash transactions in Switzerland has already led to an increase in ATM robberies, with millions of francs stolen in the past three years. The Swiss Federal Police has issued warnings about the vulnerability of regularly filled and poorly monitored ATMs, which attract thieves from across Europe.
The climbing club hopes that the perpetrators will experience a guilty conscience and return the stolen money discreetly. In a positive turn of events, a local benefactor has already contributed 500 francs to replace the stolen donations.
This unexpected incident highlights the importance of ensuring the security of donation boxes and developing new strategies for fundraising. Non-profit organizations may need to explore alternative methods of collecting donations, considering the evolving landscape of theft and increasing reliance on electronic transactions in Switzerland’s society.
