The 45-year-old was finally pulled to safety from the Dachstein peak today after plunging into the chasm on Saturday.
A hunt for him was launched after his son heard nothing from his since Friday last week when he announced he was planning a hiking trip.
His snow-covered hire car was found in a car park near to the mountain slope.
Rescuers wanted to begin looking for him on Wednesday night but fresh snowfalls and acute danger of avalanches the mission to find him was put off until the early hours of this morning.
The trapped man managed to send and SMS message saying he was entombed 30 yards down, cold and injured.
Austrian police said the mountain rescue team was “in acute danger for their own lives” but nevertheless went ahead to try to find him.
He had injuries to his shoulder and an ankle.
He was brought out of the hole and airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital at Gosau.
Mountain rescuer Christian Egger was the man who brought him to safety.
He said it was a “miracle” he had survived in the icy cold.
“When we got him out, he had tears in his eyes with joy. He probably didn’t think he’d come out alive,” he said.