Guide attacks climber on tiny ledge 10,000ft up mountain after he barged past wife

A mountaineering guide from Austria has apparently been ostracised from his community after behaving dangerously at 10,000 feet.

Per The Sun, an Instagram video uploaded by a Polish husband and his wife last month shows them climbing down the slopes of the Grossglockner mountain (Austria's highest peak) when they encountered this unnamed man, who was accompanied by two paying customers.

The caption explained: "I deliberately waited to give my wife some additional space. Despite this, the mountain guide abruptly stepped in between us.

"I told him that I was going first. His response was extremely arrogant — he made it clear that, because he was a 'mountain guide', I should shut up and accept his behaviour."

Footage from their exchange captures his wife lowering herself down a rope as the obnoxious guide forces his way through.

Her taken-aback husband says: "I should go first, shouldn't I?", which is met with: "No, no, no."

Things quickly escalate, with threats of violence occurring even at this vertigo-inducing height.

Having been brushed past by the guide and his clients, the Polish husband sticks his middle finger up and calls him a 'f***ing idiot'.

This results in the guide furiously approaching him and getting in his face.

"Behave yourself!" he yells, before continuing along the mountainside track.

His caption added: "Overtaking other hikers or climbers in the mountains is completely normal and understandable. However, I would expect a professional mountain guide to show basic courtesy, good judgement and, above all, responsibility for the safety of everyone around him.

"Mountain guides should set an example for other people in the mountains. Arrogant, aggressive and thoughtless behaviour is the exact opposite of what one would expect from someone in such a responsible profession.

"The mountains are for everyone, regardless of their experience, skills or pace. Mutual respect and consideration should always come first."

Local newspapers reported that police launched an investigation into the encounter, which led to the Kals Mountain Guides Association cutting ties with the accused.

In the comment section of this viral social media clip, users couldn't believe what had taken place on the exposed ridge in the skies.

"Both parties get an F," read one person's grading of the event.

"By the looks of the video your wife is a very slow climber and I'm assuming these people have been stuck behind you for a while. Common courtesy would be to wait at the point where you are standing at, and let the pursuing party pass. That way you don't feel stressed having someone breathe down your neck and they are not stressed being stuck behind someone who needs more time.

"However, the mountain guide gets a double FF for climbing back up to [putting] hands on you, he should've just carried on."