"We expect it to take hours to days" Geologists expect major rockfall in Brienz GR
In the past few days, several smaller rockfalls have occurred again in Brienz. Geologists are now expecting a major landslide with a volume of up to 300,000 cubic meters.
25.11.2025, 04:30
25.11.2025, 05:05
SDA
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- Several small rockfalls have occurred above the Grisons mountain village of Brienz.
- There was no danger to the village.
- Geologists now expect a large rockfall with a volume of up to 300,000 cubic meters within hours or days.
On Monday, several small rockfalls occurred above the Grisons mountain village of Brienz. In the meantime, a gully has formed from which more rock is falling. Geologists expect the plateau above to collapse in the next few hours or days.
"We expect it to take hours to days, not days to weeks, for the eastern plateau to fall away," said Christian Gartmann, communications officer for the responsible municipality of Albula, when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency. The rockfalls on Monday were still small and posed no danger to the village.
"We expect an accumulation of rockfalls before a major collapse," Gartmann continued. After that, a rockfall with a volume of up to 300,000 cubic meters could occur. This corresponds to the volume of around 300 detached houses.
Even geologists surprised by the timing
According to Gartmann, even geologists were surprised by the timing of the movement on the mountain. The movements had increased at very short notice and "something could happen at any time", he told "Südostschweiz".
The Rhaetian Railway line and the cantonal road were not in the danger zone because there was little liquid in the material. "That's why there probably won't be a blue phase," Gartmann told the newspaper. The evacuated people from Brienz still have hope that the mountain will calm down after a rockfall and that they will be able to return home.
"I have mixed feelings about the situation"
The greatest danger for the village is that these masses of rock could fall onto the scree slope below. Together with the rocks there, a total of one million cubic meters of debris could start moving towards Brienz - either as a so-called debris flow or even as a rock avalanche.
"I have mixed feelings about the situation," explained the head of the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Mobility, Carmelia Maissen (center), in an interview with Keystone-SDA on Monday. On the one hand, there is hope that there will be more clarity about future developments on the mountain after a rockfall or landslide, giving the people of Brienz, who have already been evacuated for over a year, more reliable prospects.
On the other hand, there is also the possibility that much will remain unclear afterwards. "We have no choice but to respect the rhythm of nature," said the councillor.
