Hikers have been evacuated from the Italian Dolomites after multiple rockfalls, causing the immediate closure of popular routes and trails.
The rockfalls occurred over the weekend on western and eastern sides of the Cima Falkner mountain. The entire summit was affected by “morphogenetic phenomenon”, or erosion and weathering, according to a statement by Trento council.
Cima Falkner is undergoing permafrost degradation, which is the thawing of ground that has been frozen for a long period of time, causing rocks to tumble from the summit.
An inspection by local authorities found that the mountain is subject to an ongoing landslide with the potential for the situation to worsen.
Investigators found that the largest detachment happened during the night between Saturday 26 July and Sunday 27 July.
On Wednesday 30 July, the local council said that small collapses were continuing on the summit of the mountain, which they described as “opening like a flower.”
Mountain routes 305, 315, 316 and 331 were closed while experts assessed their safety.
The mayors of Tre Ville and Ville d’Anaunia also issued emergency ordinances on Monday to prohibit access to the trails starting from the Grostè Pass.
Trails 315 and 316 have since reopened after authorities concluded continuing rockfalls would not directly affect these routes.
These trails are the two most popular for walkers in the area. Route 316 leads to the Tuckett Refuge, which sits at the foot of the Castelletto Inferiore: one of the most famous peaks in the Brenta Dolomites.
The Trento Fire Brigade are using drones to assess the erosion of the mountain, finding wide cracks on the rock surface.
“The fractures, previously filled with ice, are now partially empty, indicating a change in the morphology of Cima Falkner,” the council said.
“This evolution is also linked to the degradation of permafrost, an element that at high altitudes plays an important role as a “glue” for the rock mass.”
Italian scientists have warned that extreme heat, caused by the changing climate, is melting the vital frost.
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