Swiss guides are warning that the classic Eiger Nordwand may soon
be 'impossible' due to warmer conditions.
According to a story on the Telegraph web site, the combination of
last year's hot summer, which caused problems all over the Alps, and
a lack of snow over the winter means that the permafrost which binds
the mountain together is melting leading to increased danger of
rockfall on the already lethal face and melting the ice fields that
form a crucial part of the route.
The Telegraph quotes a local guide from Interlaken as sayin: "We
are telling people, 'Don't go on the North Face'. It is too
dangerous. The mountain is falling down. These days I am often woken
in the night by a sound like thunder. " A spokesman for the Swiss
Alpine Club is also quoted as advising people not to attempt the
North Face.
The situation on the Eiger is being duplicated elsewhere in the
Alps. Last summer guides in Chamonix actually declared Mont Blanc
'closed' before the end of the normal season as the lack of snow
cover and rockfall in the area led to increased danger for climbers.
Meanwhile, a massive rockfall on the Matterhorn left tens of climbers
stranded on the Hörnli Ridge normal route.
For the full Telegraph story, see here.
And yes, we know it's a little old, but we thought it was worth a
mention.
