Plane lands on snowy runway and almost rams group of mountaineers

A moment of madness that could have ended in tragedy: late Saturday morning, a tourist plane landed and took off from Colle Sesia on the Swiss side of the Monte Rosa massif, flying over a group of mountaineers on their way to Capanna Margherita.

Luca Calzone, a mountaineer and digital creator from Novara, captured the event in a video and posted it on social media. "That was dangerous. I've never seen anything like it," Calzone commented in the video. "I witnessed a near-tragedy."

The video shows the small plane landing in the snow on Colle Sesia, a stone's throw away from a group of mountaineers on snowshoes.

Then it turned left, revved its engine, picked up speed, and flew a few meters between two groups. Then it took off. Calzone said he handed the video over to the police and reported the incident.

Carlo Alberto Zanella of the South Tyrolean Alpine Association criticized the lenient penalty and called for stricter measures, such as revoking pilot licenses for such violations. He warned of the "increasing arrogance of wealthy tourists."

Not only helicopters, but also luxury cars can now be found high up in the mountains. Two Lamborghinis were recently parked in front of a mountain hut in the heart of the Dolomites – the photo circulated on many cell phones.

The South Tyrolean Alpine Association strongly criticized the fact that drivers of luxury cars were allowed to drive up to the Comici Hut in Val Gardena. "We consider such incidents a provocation, a disregard for all mountain etiquette rules. Regardless of the purpose, luxury cars have no place in a hut," said Georg Simeoni, President of the South Tyrolean Alpine Association.

The Italian Alpine Clubs have long been calling for driving bans for tourists on the passes as an immediate measure to combat the high traffic volume. They call it an "unbearable level" and demand a driving ban for tourists between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.