Scorching summer triggers record rockfalls in Alps, scientist says
The exceptionally hot summer in the Alps has been marked by a record number of rockfalls, some of them fatal, with "a large majority attributable to the climate crisis," according to scientist Ludovic Ravanel.
An exceptionally hot summer in the Alps has led to a record number of rockfalls, according to scientist Ludovic Ravanel. The CNRS researcher told AFP that the year will undoubtedly be the worst in terms of both the frequency and volume of rockfalls, with Mont Blanc as the worst hit area. The previous record of 300 rockfalls was set in 2022, another heat wave year.
Ravanel attributes the majority of rockfalls to the climate crisis, as rising temperatures are degrading permafrost and causing ice lodged in rock cracks to melt and break off. This ice acts as a kind of cement holding the mountains together, and its loss increases rock instability. As glaciers melt, the stabilizing pressure they exert on rock walls also eases, leading to more rockfalls.
Though temperatures are expected to drop in coming days, the heat from the 2026 summer will continue to penetrate the ground until late November, December, or even January. Ravanel predicts that the most significant rockfalls will likely occur in the autumn, though they will be less frequent. Several climbers have died since the start of the summer, including two Czech tourists killed in July on Mont Blanc's most used route.
Authorities have closed shelters used for climbing, a precaution also taken in 2022. However, Ravanel does not believe access to the high mountains should be restricted, and attributes the increase in accidents to the growing popularity of mountain resorts and villages, leading to higher visitor numbers overall.
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