Hans Mariacher

Hans Mariacher was an Austrian Nordic and alpine skier who participated in the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics. He competed in the large hill event and placed 25th. In 1931 he won his first alpine race in a slalom event at Kitzbühel. Mariacher later became a haulage contractor, skiing instructor, and mountain guide.

In 1971, the Austrian alpinists Robert Kittl, Klaus Hoi, Mariacher and Hansjörg Farbmacher set out to cross the main Alpine ridge in Reichenau an der Rax. Between them and their destination, the southern French seaside resort of Nice, there was a total of 1,917 kilometers and 85,510 meters of climbing. Although they did not choose the shortest or easiest route for their project - they took in the most impressive peaks of the Alps along the way - the ski mountaineers arrived in France after just 40 days.