Warm weather has made the Matterhorn unstable for climbing
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
Mountain guides are suspending climbing tours until further notice following a rockfall on the south face of the iconic Swiss mountain Matterhorn.
A massive landslide threw up huge clouds of dust and loose boulders at an altitude of 3,900 metres on Wednesday morning. According to the central rescue coordination centre of the Aosta Valley in Italy, no-one was injured. The area is rarely visited by mountaineers.
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Following the rockfall, the Italian mountain guides association of Breuil-Cervinia has suspended all Matterhorn climbs with clients. Although the rockfall did not damage the standard Italian route via the Lion Ridge.
Nevertheless, extreme caution is advised due to the current terrain and weather conditions. The Carrel Hut on the Italian southern route remains open to climbers, but without staff on site.
Zermatt mountain guides issued an urgent warning against summit tours on the Matterhorn in July 2026 due to the acute risk of rockfall and temporarily suspended guided climbs.
The dangerous conditions are due to persistent heat and thawing permafrost following a winter with little snow, which has left the mountain largely exposed and rock formations losing stability.
Furthermore, regular summer skiing operations for guests on the Theodul Glacier in Zermatt have been temporarily suspended since the end of July 2026 due to persistent heat and poor snow conditions. However, some training slopes remain accessible to Swiss-Ski teams.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
