Landslide hazard emerges in Alpine National Park - Alpine National Park Suffers Another Landslide Incident
Rockslide in Berchtesgaden National Park: A Warning for Hikers
A rockslide occurred on Tuesday near the Trischübelpass in the rear Wimbachtal, prompting trail closures and raising concerns about the ongoing danger of rockslides in the Berchtesgaden National Park.
The rockslide, which dislodged approximately 4,000 cubic meters of rock, occurred in the Torrener Joch-Zone, a geological disturbance zone stretching across the northern limestone Alps and into Austria. The trail near the Trischübelpass remains closed due to the ongoing danger, with trails number 411 and 421 in the rear Wimbachtal also closed until further notice.
The incident resulted in the rescue of a group of 20 hikers, including 18 adults, one teenager, and one child, by a police helicopter. One man, a 46-year-old from Hesse, sustained minor injuries from a falling rock, around 150 meters away from the rockfall. Fortunately, he managed to walk back to the nearby Wimbachgrieshütte on his own.
The rock in this area is more fractured due to tectonic activity, making rockslides more likely. A visible crack in the rock face has already started to release material, and no one knows when more loose rock might fall, emphasizing the need for caution.
Martin Weckel, the head ranger of the Berchtesgaden National Park, urged everyone to respect the trail closure. Stefan Kellerbauer, a geologist, warned of a potential rockslide in the Berchtesgaden National Park, urging hikers to be aware of the ongoing risk.
The Berchtesgaden National Park, located in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, is a mountainous region known for its steep terrain, dramatic cliffs, and alpine environment. Like many alpine regions worldwide, it is prone to rockslides and landslides due to natural factors such as weathering, tectonic activity, freeze-thaw cycles, and heavy precipitation.
While the park is carefully monitored for natural hazards, rockslides do occasionally occur, though they are typically localized and often triggered by factors such as heavy rainfall or snowmelt, freeze-thaw cycles, seismic activity, or human activity. In recent decades, there have been several smaller rockslides reported on various steep slopes within the park, especially around popular hiking areas like the Watzmann massif and along the Königssee lake cliffs.
Berchtesgaden National Park employs modern monitoring techniques to detect early warnings of slope instability, such as geotechnical sensors, remote sensing and aerial surveys, and field inspections. Park authorities usually provide updates on hazards and trail conditions during periods of increased risk, particularly after storms or during spring thaw.
If you are interested in a detailed, up-to-date, and location-specific rockslide database or scientific studies about slope stability in Berchtesgaden National Park, I recommend consulting geological survey reports from Bavarian or German federal agencies or academic publications specializing in alpine geomorphology.
The Commission has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, considering the rockslide incident in Berchtesgaden National Park. This environmental-science directive could potentially include measures to mitigate geological risks and protect hikers from space-and-astronomy-related weather conditions such as heavy precipitation.
