Alpine permafrost melting – mountains crumbling, trails turning deadly

Permafrost that has bound Alpine rocks together for millennia is melting due to climate change, triggering increasingly frequent rockfalls and landslides. Experts warn that old trail maps are no longer reliable, and setting off late in the morning is especially dangerous as rocks warm up and destabilise. Hikers and climbers are advised to check current bulletins and aim to descend before 11 a.m.