UNESCO World Heritage Trail – Bench No. 9: The Silent Threat of Natural Hazards

The vast smooth face of the Altels was once covered in ice. Two glacier collapses, in 1792 and 1895, caused great loss of life and suffering on the Spittelmatte. Natural hazards are ongoing processes. The rockfall at the Allmenfluh in February 2023 showed that the mountains around Kandersteg are still in motion. Avalanches, landslides, debris flows and rockfalls bear dramatic witness to the forces of nature. Although these events are natural processes, they become hazardous due to human presence, as they can threaten infrastructure and lives.