The Alps are warming twice as fast as the global average. What has been an alarming reality for climate researchers for years was felt by mountaineers with every step they took in the high alpine terrain last summer.
A look at the influence of climate change in the alpine region by Christof Schellhammer, state-certified mountain and ski guide, managing director and head of the Vivalpin mountain school.
Climate change is fundamentally altering alpine mountaineering. Classic routes, considered safe ascents for generations, are changing rapidly. Where once solid firn and meter-thick ice layers dominated, today scree, bare rock, and thawing permafrost prevail. A look at prominent peaks in the Alps illustrates just how dramatically the conditions for alpinism have shifted.
Record heat at high altitude: The Alps in a sweatbox
The extreme pace of this change was vividly illustrated by measurements from last summer. The entire Alpine region experienced exceptional temperature deviations last summer: In Switzerland, for example, the average summer temperature was at times more than 3,1 °C above the long-term average for the reference period 1991–2020.
The effects of climate change are particularly drastic in the high alpine regions: During pronounced heat waves, the freezing level rose again to altitudes sometimes well over 5.000 meters above sea level. This means that even on the highest alpine peaks, temperatures remained above freezing for days on end. In addition, exceptionally high nighttime temperatures and prolonged periods of drought significantly destabilized the alpine ecosystem.
Glacier retreat and rockfall on Germany's highest mountain
The Zugspitze serves as a symbol of the retreating ice. The Southern Schneeferner lost its official glacier status back in 2022, and the Northern Schneeferner is also shrinking at a rapid pace. This progressive glacial retreat inevitably led to the closure of the last German glacier ski lift, which was blasted and dismantled in March of this year. But it's not just the ice that's disappearing; the mountain itself is also shifting. As the permafrost thaws, the rock within is losing its natural "cement." The consequences are drastic: Rockfalls and massive landslides are becoming increasingly frequent in the Höllental valley and on the imposing north face of the Zugspitze.
A striking example of the increasing instability of high-alpine cliffs was the rockfall on the north face of the Zugspitze at an altitude of approximately 2.800 meters. After a prolonged period of summer heat, around 13.800 cubic meters of rock suddenly broke away, enveloping the mountain in a dust cloud visible from afar. Geological investigations by the Technical University of Munich show that the point of collapse lies precisely within the sensitive permafrost zone. In the deep rock fissures, ice usually serves as a stabilizing layer. When the summer heat penetrates the interior of the limestone with a time lag, this ice layer thaws – the rock loses its support and breaks away.
Routes like the "Bayernsteig" into the Austrian Schneekar, which were once considered relatively safe ascents, have already been officially closed or now require a significantly higher level of vigilance, while the time windows for ascents are becoming ever shorter. In the future, even on Germany's highest mountain, climbs will become increasingly demanding and difficult to plan.
Wildspitze and Rofenkarferner: The Jubiläumsgrat ridge in transition
A similar picture emerges in the Ötztal Alps at the Wildspitze, Austria's second-highest mountain. The ascent via the Rofenkarferner glacier and the challenging Jubiläumsgrat (northeast ridge) was long considered a scenically spectacular and shady ice climbing tour. Today, the stark reality of glacial retreat is on full display.
The Rofenkarferner glacier has receded dramatically, and the former firn and ice ridge of the Jubiläumsgrat is now largely snow-free. Where once firm firn lay atop a thick ice sheet, brittle rock sections and loose scree are now exposed. This means for mountaineers that pure firn and ice climbing conditions have given way to technical challenges in mixed terrain. Increased rockfall danger and emerging crevasses demand significantly more precise timing, as many tours of this magnitude are now only responsibly undertaken in early summer under optimal conditions.
The Grossglockner: The Pasterze Glacier before its collapse
In the shadow of the Großglockner, Austria's highest peak, another dramatic chapter of glacial retreat is unfolding. The Pasterze Glacier, still the country's largest, is facing a historic turning point and threatens to break into two large sections in the coming years, thus permanently losing its status. The enormous loss of ice can be observed with the naked eye from the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint.
At the same time, thawing permafrost is putting a strain on high-alpine mountain huts and base camps. For example, operators in the region around the Grossglockner are struggling with unstable ground that threatens the foundations of huts like the Stüdlhütte and necessitates costly renovations. The classic routes to the summit have also become increasingly vulnerable to mudslides and rockfalls due to destabilization of the rock faces, partly caused by heavy rainfall.
Consequences for mountain sports: Official closures and a change of thinking
Mountaineering is at a historic turning point. This shift no longer affects only extreme climbers, but also, and to a significant degree, traditional hikers. Due to thawing permafrost and the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events, slopes, even at mid-elevations, are becoming unstable. The result is a noticeable increase in official trail closures: for example, in Berchtesgaden National Park, a rockfall forced the closure of the heavily frequented hiking trail in the Wimbach Valley and the evacuation of affected hikers. Hundreds of kilometers of the alpine trail network now lie in acute risk zones, forcing authorities and alpine clubs to close trails at short notice or undertake costly reroutings with increasing frequency.
For mountaineers of all disciplines, this means:
- Obligation to provide up-to-date information: Tours should no longer be planned blindly based on old hiking guides; advance checks of official closures and hut information are essential.
- Early departure: To avoid the dangers of daytime rockfall in heated rock, tours must be started much earlier.
- Enhanced risk competence: Assessing the risk of rockfalls, permafrost instabilities and exposed glaciers is becoming a vital core competency alongside traditional orientation.
- Seasonal adaptation: Many classic ice climbing tours and ridge crossings are hardly accessible in late summer and shift to early summer.
Climate change is making mountaineering more demanding, unpredictable, and in some ways more vulnerable. Anyone climbing through the high mountains today, such as the Zugspitze, Wildspitze, or Großglockner, experiences the Alps in a phase of accelerated change – and bears the responsibility to approach this altered natural environment with respect, humility, and foresight.
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