Third Man on the Mountain

In Kurtal, 1865, Rudi, a hotel kitchen worker, daydreams about reaching the Citadel's summit. His reverie is interrupted when Old Teo Zurbriggen scolds him for breaking dishes. He hides his climbing gear and slips away toward the mountains.

Teo lectures him about duty and danger, while Rudi retrieves his hidden climbing gear and heads toward the mountains outside town. Lizbeth encourages his ambition, but Teo tries to keep the climb a secret. Rudi's decision to chase the summit sets the town's tensions in motion.

On the glacier, Rudi hears a cry for help and rescues Captain John Winter, who has fallen into a crevasse. They talk about the Citadel disaster that claimed Rudi's father, and Winter expresses gratitude, asking Rudi to keep the rescue quiet. Rudi reveals he is just a dishwasher, asking Winter not to tell anyone about his climb.

Back in Kurtal, Klaus Wesselhoft vies for Lizbeth's attention while she remains focused on Rudi. Franz Lerner, Rudi's uncle, visits the kitchen and discovers Rudi's absence, furious with Teo for covering for him. Tensions rise as family and romance collide with the boy's climbing dream.

Captain Winter arrives and asks Franz to be available for a climb on the Wunderhorn the next day, proposing that Rudi serve as a porter. Franz resists, but Winter reveals that Rudi saved his life, and Franz reluctantly concedes. The plan is set for a high-stakes ascent.

During the Wunderhorn attempt, Winter and Franz discuss routes while Rudi secretly searches for a better descent line. He becomes trapped and is rescued by Franz and Winter, deepening his resolve to prove himself. The climb exposes the fragility and risk of mountain ambitions.

The next morning, the boots and climbing gear Winter gave Rudi vanish from the hotel, and Lizbeth buys them back from Franz. Rudi is both relieved and bitter, realizing how fragile trust and support can be in Kurtal. The incident strains Rudi's relationship with Franz.

Teo and Lizbeth take Rudi to the Felsberg to teach him the basics of guiding. Meanwhile, Captain Winter leaves Kurtal for good, unhappy with how things unfolded. Franz rants about Winter's folly, while Rudi's dream grows louder and more insistent.

At the choral festival, villagers debate rumors of a climbing party camped on the Citadel. Teo and Lizbeth spur Rudi on, and Winter asks Franz for permission to take him as a porter. Rudi joins Winter and Emil Saxo as they plan reconnoitering climbs on the Citadel.

Winter and Saxo leave to Broli for supplies, trusting Franz’s supposed permission. Rudi, convinced he has a chance, climbs higher to search for his father's route, guided by a storm and a glimmering chimney he takes as the clue. The weather worsens, threatening the ascent.

Winter and Saxo return to base and confront Franz about Rudi's ascent. Rudi announces that he found his father's route and decides to press on despite objections. Saxo leaves to climb ahead, but Rudi secretly follows, determined to prove himself and honor his father.

On the climb toward the Citadel's summit, Rudi helps Saxo when he is injured, while Franz and Winter push on with the others. They reach the top, and Winter refuses sole credit, calling the victory a shared one with Rudi and his father. Looking through a telescope, Rudi sees his father's red shirt planted at the summit, a symbol of his legacy.