Matterhorn and Mont Blanc climbs halted as heat spikes rockfall danger

Mountain guides in the Alps are urging climbers to abandon ascents of the Matterhorn (Cervino) after an unusually warm spell melted permafrost, destabilising the rock and increasing stonefall. Guides from Zermatt warned that the normal Hörnli ridge is now unsafe, noting the recent accident in which two alpinists fell from 4,030 m.

In the Italian side of the range, the Val d'Aosta guide association announced that the Italian normal route on Monte Bianco and the Tiefenmatten crest on Dent d’Herens will no longer be offered to clients because of the same heat‑induced instability. The guides stressed that while other routes on the massif remain open, the current conditions make these classic climbs too dangerous.

The phenomenon reflects broader alpine warming, with the loss of permanent ice that once acted as natural cement for rock faces, prompting authorities to reassess safety on several high‑altitude routes across Switzerland, Italy and France.