Climbers Accuse German Alpine Club of Mishandling Complaints After Controversial Promotions
Climbers accuse the German Alpine Club (DAV) of mishandling complaints after controversial promotions and dismissals, prompting an independent review of 2023–25.
The German Alpine Club (DAV) is facing renewed criticism after elite climbers publicly described a pattern of mishandling internal complaints and questionable personnel decisions. Athletes spoke to national broadcasters and said the federation’s responses to allegations ranged from limiting a coach’s responsibilities to later promoting him, while other staff were dismissed abruptly. The controversy follows earlier complaints from ski-mountaineering athletes and has prompted the DAV to commission an external review covering recent years.
Athletes speak to ARD and describe growing mistrust
Several leading climbers gave on-the-record and anonymous statements to ARD’s Sportschau, saying confidence in the DAV’s leadership has eroded. They described a climate in which raising concerns about coaching conduct could lead to sidelining or being omitted from team lists. High-profile names in the sport said expectations that Olympic inclusion would drive professionalization had not been met.
Allegations led to removal then promotion of a national coach
According to reporting, multiple athletes accused a former national coach identified as F. of pressuring athletes to reduce weight and of exerting undue influence over training and competition selection. The DAV temporarily removed the coach from central training and competition duties while investigating those claims, citing internal communications reviewed by journalists. Despite the earlier restrictions, the coach was later promoted in 2024 to a senior sport-management role within the DAV’s sport-climbing division, a move that athletes described as deeply damaging to trust.
Coach denied wrongdoing and cited athlete safety measures
The coach publicly rejected the allegations, telling reporters he had at times withheld competition starts for underweight athletes to protect their health. Supporters argued his actions were intended as safeguarding, not coercion, creating a contested narrative among staff and athletes. The DAV declined to comment on specific personnel matters when approached by the media, according to the reporting.
Former speed climbing coach dismissed without public explanation
Separately, the former national speed-climbing coach, Peter Schnabel, was reportedly dismissed without prior public explanation in February 2025, prompting protests from his athletes. Those athletes addressed the DAV presidency in a letter describing the situation as leaving the team in “shock,” and a subsequent labor-court dispute was resolved by settlement. Schnabel has described the dispute as traumatic and said it led him to seek psychological support.
Fear of reprisals has driven athletes to anonymity
Current competitors told journalists they were only willing to speak on condition of anonymity, citing fear of retribution, loss of selection, or removal from competition rosters. One national champion described an environment where athletes question whether they can be candid about health or performance without risking selection decisions. The reluctance to come forward publicly has amplified concerns that issues may persist unreported within the federation.
Link to earlier ski-mountaineering complaints widens scrutiny
The climbing complaints arrived after three top ski-mountaineering athletes publicly raised allegations last winter that they had experienced power abuses by federation staff. An independent legal opinion commissioned by the DAV reportedly supported aspects of those athletes’ accounts, and criminal investigations into alleged bodily harm connected to diagnostic blood draws remain open. Those earlier cases helped to spur calls for a broader review of conduct across the DAV’s elite-sport programs.
The DAV has engaged an external law firm to examine “incidents in the area of climbing, including personnel and leadership decisions” covering 2023 through 2025, according to the reporting. The scope of the probe is intended to include decision-making processes, handling of athlete complaints, and personnel moves that have provoked contention.
Athletes and former staff say they want a transparent process and clear safeguards to protect competitors’ physical and mental health. Many call for independent channels for complaints, regular safeguarding training, and publicly available outcomes from investigations to restore confidence in the federation’s leadership.
As the external review proceeds, the German Alpine Club faces pressure from athletes and observers to demonstrate concrete reforms. Restoring trust will likely require clear findings, accountability where appropriate, and new policies to ensure athlete welfare is prioritized across all disciplines.
