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Report nowMore and more inexperienced mountaineers are hiking in the Alps - with sandals, mini backpacks and questionable food choices. Hut wardens and mountain rescuers are sounding the alarm, both in Italy and Switzerland.
The number of inexperienced tourists in the Alps has risen sharply since the coronavirus pandemic. With sandals, light rucksacks and inadequate equipment, many are venturing into high alpine terrain - often inspired by social media. Now both Swiss and Italian hut wardens and rescue teams are warning of the consequences.
Italian hut warden Fabrizio Gonella describes absurd experiences in an interview with Bergamo Corriere: "On Sunday, they asked me for ham and melon. They thought they were at the lake." Many guests also expect a hot shower - which is simply impossible in his mountain hut. Especially in August, the crowds are almost impossible to manage.
79-year-old Francesco Tagliaferri, who has been the hut warden for decades, is also stunned: "They arrive with backpacks weighing 200 grams, bare-chested and without a sweater and then realize that it's cold at 2300 metres." Some are simply overwhelmed. "I don't know what's going on in some people's heads," he says.
Alpine farmers in Switzerland are also increasingly overwhelmed. For example at Seewlisee in the canton of Uri. Nature, the animals and the managers of the alp are increasingly in trouble with tourists. Litter, loud music, disrespect: traces of hiking fans in a previously untouched landscape.
In July, the operators of Seewlialp told blue News that dozens of tents were set up every weekend. "Social media is the main reason why more and more people are hiking here," says Conny, who runs an alp below the lake together with Jörg. It's not about keeping guests away, she emphasizes to blue News. "But respect for nature is crucial."
One problem, she says, is the waste that is repeatedly left behind despite improvements. This is because cows graze right next to the accommodation and curiously nibble on tourists' tents and luggage. "The cows are curious and start to trample or even eat waste, clothes and tents. This harms the animals," explains Jörg. Nevertheless, some guests complain to the alpine farmers - but they themselves have invaded the animals' habitat.
More and more hikers are out and about in the mountains (symbolic image)
IMAGO/imagebroker
The onslaught is also causing safety concerns. The path to the lake is steep, sometimes poorly secured and littered with roots and rocks. "We've already seen hikers with sneakers, summer outfits, luggage, sound boxes and no equipment. The weather changes quickly in the mountains," warns Conny. Time and again, soaked groups seek shelter on the alp if they are surprised without a rain jacket or tent.
