This summer’s record-breaking temperatures have had a significant impact on many aspects of Swiss life – including its famous hiking trails .
Due to extreme temperatures and lack of rainfall so far this summer, the Swiss government has issued drought and wildfire alerts for most parts of the country.
The heatwave has also had repercussions on human health – hundreds of heat-related ‘excess’ deaths have been reported among the elderly population – as well as on the key infrastructure such as railroads and motorways.
READ MORE: How the heatwave has hit daily life in Switzerland
But the heatwave is claiming other ‘victims’ as well – namely the nation’s hiking trails.
With around 60,000 kilometers of trails crisscrossing the width and breadth of the country, hiking is one of Switzerland’s most popular leisure activities.
But according to Jerun Vils from the Bernerwanderwege hiking association, “rising temperatures are transforming hiking, especially in lowland areas,” he notes, where temperatures are quite a bit higher than on mountain trails.
Some of the dangers include phenomena such as ‘ground radiation,’ where very dry soil intensifies the heat. Dry conditions also increase environmental hazards like falling rocks, as well as fires on paths crossing forests or other vegetation.
The Bernerwanderwege is even considering whether certain trails could be relocated in the long-term so that they remain ‘walkable’ even during periods of high heat.
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What about mountain hiking?
The Alps are usually less affected by extreme heat, especially at higher elevations.
This doesn’t mean that hiking there is totally risk-free, however.
In July, mountain guides warned against climbing the iconic Matterhorn because the heatwave has significantly deteriorated conditions there, increasing the risk to climbers due to rockfalls, black ice, and thawing permafrost.
Since then, the Swiss Alpine Club has also extended this alert to other high-altitude areas, pointing out that “crevasses are now exposed and some access routes have been altered, so choosing the correct route can be challenging. Some climbs are therefore currently discouraged.”
READ MORE: How hot weather makes climbing Swiss Alps ‘extremely dangerous’
