European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bernhard Bruckdorfer searching the mountains for the lost and injured Man with a Mission Story and photo by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Bernhard Bruckdorfer could have taken the easy Way out sure he says i could  Sal Home woke up when i wanted to drank Beer in front of the to All ,  but the chief of the armed forces recreation Center s mountaineering school at Garmisch West Germany prefers to Brave treacherous Mountain conditions inherent dangers like tons of Snow wailing to rumble Down a Mountainside. Call him Cray he says bul he actually enjoys it. Bruckdorfer s Day starts at 4a.m., when he and a pack of other rescuer workers set out to comb Germany s highest Mountain Range for injured or wayward skiers or climbers. The task reads like instructions for a video game set out from the base of the Mountain. Scale its Side to the Peak nearly 2,Floo feet skyward. The ultimate Challenge find the skier or climber who has fallen prey to the elements. Dodge avalanches fight off the Biller cold biting at your lingers Monitor your stamina. It s you against the  it s no gome though. It s real. If things Don t go right the Mountain offers no reset Button no game Over lights Flash in your face. A Mountain Bruckdorfer says holds human life in contempt. A Mountain won t give in. It fights Back. You have to be aware of the danger a Mountain and nature bring says Bruckdorfer who to his 40s, looks  he s in in s  in in in the Fountain of youth. Perhaps that s what makes it More interesting the the danger involved. It s More of a Challenge than watching to or drinking Beer All  to the head of of pcs Mountain patrol. Res be missions Are nothing Natiw. But the Sandy haired Bruckdorfer says the challenges hum  to Day Are rarely the same. You May win a skirmish with the Mountain he warns but the War May never be won. Ii takes its toll that s for sure he says Lizul Thill s life. That s any  a Beeper sits within Arm s Rea h 24 hours .1 Day u 5 Days a year. A rest be Mission like he birth of a child can i ome at any hour and Day. Am moment. You re completely against yourself when you get the Call at 4 in the morning he jokes. I gel up. Carry a  Kopac k up the Mountain instead of lying in bed until noon because it s something that needs to get done. There Art times when every human has to kick himself in the Bull and gel i Job done. That s All there is  the Job listing for a Mountain patrolman does t list half the a Ards a patrolman faces. Bernhard has had his share of near misses. I be s fallen off Cliffs dodged Small avalanches and fought the bitter cold. I be never been careless i have to be More careful now. I be got two kids and a wife to think about. I take danger into consideration a bit More  about 12 years ago Bruckdorfer saw the grim reaper approaching after a 30-meter fall Oil the Side of a Small Iliff. Bruckdorfer survived but his Back was broken. A few years Laler he look a ill meter slide off the Side of a Gully escaping with a few lacerations. His neck was broken from an eight meter fall shortly after his recovery. I had he unfortunate problem of falling where you should t fall he says of the last incident. I be survived three major accidents in the menu Plains he boasts. I be come out of each one thai much Wiser. The potential is there. 1 he More times you go in the greater the  i he act dents came at peaks in his climbing career. I  in excellent shape anal All and then had an act Idem. Ii was just a bad situation All  1 he majority Cit Rescue missions Bernhard and Al res rescuers embark on invoked unprepared Ine Peri Efu Edli a Lars i s he a Experiment de people who end up in irinibli1 by climbing or skiing where they should the says. "1 Here s a lot of danger involved when it s old and snowy. People pay a lot of Money it Lake Tennis anal Golf lessons. When in i Oines to climbing in the mountains they think they Tan just go up there and do it. You can t. You need to be  Why did Bruckdorfer t Hoose this career society is really rather Boring. You need to be t challenged. Some people ride bikes. Some people run. F climb mountains. Sometimes i do question myself about being on a search Mission in the Middle of the night he says. But a 4 in the morning it s much nicer to be up in the Mountain Range watching the Sun Rise than to lie in  of course lying in bed is a bit safer. January 18, 1990 sir prs Magazine 1 7