Thieves in Switzerland have pulled off a high-altitude heist on one of the country's most challenging protected climbing routes, robbing a donation collection box at an altitude of 2350m.
Known as a via ferrata, the route employs steel cables, rungs or ladders that are affixed to the rock, making it only accessible to the most experienced climbers.
The Gemmi pass above Leukerbad village is the longest in Switzerland and is maintained by a local climbing club to whom the box belongs.
"What kind of people are these?" wrote the climbing club on its Facebook page.
"The climbing club looks after the via ferrata for no salary, we don't ask for anything, and now someone has stolen the money donated to maintain it."
Not only were the criminals experienced climbers equipped with the required mountaineering gear, they also brought tools with them to break open the donation box, which was found smashed open and empty.
It appears that the heist crew then continued their ascent to the top of the Daubemhorn at an altitude of 2941m — with the money in tow.
The club is unsure of exactly how much money was stolen, but club member and guide Richard Werlen told the BBC it was likely to be between 400-500 Swiss Francs (NZD$766-957).
It has been hard to narrow down who committed the crime, as many mountaineers have ascended the via ferrata in recent days due to good conditions.
For now, the club is hoping that whoever stole the money will suffer from a "guilty conscience" and quietly return it.
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