After a glacier accident in Italy: "The mountains are changing drastically" - danger in Bavaria too?

Created: 07/09/2022 06:28

After the glacier accident in Italy, many mountaineers and hikers are wondering whether the danger from climate change is also increasing in Bavaria (symbol image).

© Sven Hoppe/dpa

The glacier accident in Italy shook hikers and mountaineers in particular.

In an interview with a meteorologist, however, it is also about the danger in Bavaria.

Munich – Meteorologist Manuel Oberhuber speaks of a historic day: the weather station at Sonnblick at 3106 meters in the Hohe Tauern reported 0 centimeters of snow on Tuesday.

This is the earliest loss of snow cover since measurements began in 1938. The earliest date so far was August 13 (2003 and 1993).

For the time being, it is the last of many reported record values ​​​​from the high altitudes of the Alps this year: little snow in winter, high temperatures as early as May - the effects are clearly visible and have dramatic consequences: the glacier fracture on the Marmolada probably cost twelve hikers that Life.

There is no relaxation in sight, on the contrary: if the glaciers lose their protective snow cover so early, the black-grey, dirty ice emerges and the melting accelerates.

Interview with meteorologist Manuel Oberhuber: "The mountains are changing drastically"

The glaciers in the Alps are therefore threatened with an unprecedented bloodletting this summer, the dangers can hardly be calculated.

So what needs special attention this year when riding at full speed?

Are hikes on and along Alpine glaciers still possible?

We spoke to Wolfgang Wabel (55), Head of Mountain Sports at the German Alpine Club:

Have you ever done the tour of the Marmolada?

Yes, but as a ski tour.

It pretty much follows the same line as the high-altitude tour.

As a mountain professional, how do you rate the tour?

This is a mixture of mountain hike and high-altitude tour, because in the upper part you come to snow fields and then to the glacier at the very top.

But the tour is not too difficult.

Did you think such a catastrophe was possible?

I couldn't have imagined it with this force.

But you have to be prepared for the fact that such crashes will happen more regularly.

The mountains change drastically.

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Wolfgang Wabel is the head of the mountain sports division at the German Alpine Club.

© Tobias Hase

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Glaciers apern out: does that increase the danger?

How do you rate the situation in the high mountains at the moment?

The glaciers are getting smaller, snowing more and more.

It's not even mid-July and we've only got the pure ice and gravel.

These are conditions like in late summer.

The changes have already taken place in recent years, but this year things have accelerated in many regions.

Do you advise against glacier tours in general?

No, generally not advised against, but it requires more attention and caution.

At this point in the season, the risk of accidents is higher than usual when riding at full speed.

What do you have to pay special attention to this year?

The conditions are generally worse in the high mountains, you have to be careful, especially during strong weather events or during heat waves.

The permafrost is thawing, rock passages are becoming more brittle even at high altitudes, and you have to be more careful about falling rocks.

Everything has become more unpredictable.

You just have to listen to yourself more: How experienced am I?

What can I trust?

If I'm unsure, I would definitely join a DAV group or hire a mountain guide.

Difficult transitions and problems in the huts

Is there an acute danger lurking on the few Bavarian glaciers?

They are now so small that there are actually no longer any typical glaciers with large crevasses.

You have to be more careful here at the transition from glacier to rock - like on the Höllentalferner on the way to the Zugspitze.

Especially at the end of the season, the transitions can be very difficult there.

Are Alpine Club huts also specifically threatened by glacier avalanches?

Not through crashes.

But because the ground is becoming more unstable, we have problems at some high-altitude huts.

We therefore have to extensively renovate the Stüdlhütte from the Oberland section on the Großglockner, the same applies to the Hochwildehaus, section Karlsruhe, which we even had to close.

The water supply is also causing us more and more problems in the locations.

Interview: Bernd Ernemann

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