Climate Change Endangers Swiss Alpine Huts as Permafrost Thaws
(MENAFN) Rising global temperatures are destabilizing parts of the Swiss Alps, with melting permafrost and shrinking glaciers threatening mountain infrastructure and placing dozens of Alpine huts at risk, according to reports published Thursday.
The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has been compelled to consider relocating vulnerable shelters and investing millions in replacement facilities and safety measures as environmental conditions deteriorate.
One example is the Mutthorn mountain hut in the Bernese Oberland, where widening cracks prompted its closure in 2021 amid fears that thawing permafrost could cause the structure to collapse.
"We knew this hut probably wouldn’t last another hundred years. But the fact that it collapsed so quickly really scared us," Fabienne Notter, president of the Weissenstein section of the Swiss Alpine Club, told a public broadcaster.
Of the 152 huts operated by the SAC across the Swiss Alps, 65 are situated in locations that could be affected by thawing permafrost. The routes leading to these shelters are also becoming increasingly dangerous because of falling rocks, landslides and unstable ground.
Authorities warn that predicting when and where further collapses might occur remains difficult, adding to the challenges of protecting mountain facilities and visitors.
"We cannot predict what will fall or when. But one thing is certain it will collapse," said Nils Hahlen, head of natural hazards for the canton of Bern.
The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has been compelled to consider relocating vulnerable shelters and investing millions in replacement facilities and safety measures as environmental conditions deteriorate.
One example is the Mutthorn mountain hut in the Bernese Oberland, where widening cracks prompted its closure in 2021 amid fears that thawing permafrost could cause the structure to collapse.
"We knew this hut probably wouldn’t last another hundred years. But the fact that it collapsed so quickly really scared us," Fabienne Notter, president of the Weissenstein section of the Swiss Alpine Club, told a public broadcaster.
Of the 152 huts operated by the SAC across the Swiss Alps, 65 are situated in locations that could be affected by thawing permafrost. The routes leading to these shelters are also becoming increasingly dangerous because of falling rocks, landslides and unstable ground.
Authorities warn that predicting when and where further collapses might occur remains difficult, adding to the challenges of protecting mountain facilities and visitors.
"We cannot predict what will fall or when. But one thing is certain it will collapse," said Nils Hahlen, head of natural hazards for the canton of Bern.
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