Climate change related processes affecting mountaineering itineraries, mapping and application to the Valais Alps (Switzerland)

Climate change leads to deep modifications of high Alpine environments. Those have significant consequences on mountaineering itineraries and make them technically more difficult dangerous. Although a growing number studies recently documented this issue, they only list the processes affecting do not document their characteristics. Therefore, acquired data lack relevance be spread for prevention making among climbers. In present study, basis identified in previous Mont Blanc massif, we developed legend order map related climate that affect modify climbing parameters. Following UNIL geomorphological using same color code, 21 symbols were defined 23 processes. evaluate applicability interest proposed, first application Valais Alps (Switzerland), based semi-structured interviews with local guides hut keepers. The then allowed each 36 studied. On average, an itinerary is affected by 9 different 25% greatly evolved, which means ascent summer cannot recommended anymore because change. More generally, would provide common methodological basis, destined completed within future relevant beyond European Alps. This also ease comparability compilation results from studies.