02 Aug 2007 - My name is
Marco Bomio. I am 54 years old and live in
Grindelwald, Switzerland, at the foot of the
famous north face of the Eiger. I am married
and the father of three grown-up children.
I came here because of my wife and my love
for nature and endurance sports, which might
also explain my career choice – I work as
a mountain guide. Besides that I am also a
teacher and school principal at the secondary
school in Grindelwald.
Grindelwald is a well-known destination that
attracts many tourists. The resort first became
famous for its unique location next to the
glaciers. Up until about 20 years ago they
were directly visible from the school windows.
In those days the glacier tongues were but
a half-hour hike away from the village. Today,
that’s no longer the case. The climate change
has had a profound impact on our region —
the glaciers are melting. Today, I walk an
hour and a half with my guests before we reach
the glaciers’ edges.
Less and less ice
When I talk about local history in my classes,
I illustrate this with historic photos. For
example, I demonstrate how the glaciers still
reached down to the valley floor in the middle
of the 19th century. Back then Grindelwald
exported the ice and shipped it to places
as far away as Paris and Prague. My students
are amazed when I show them documents like
these.
Having worked as a mountain guide for almost
30 years, I have a strong sense of the glaciers’
recession. The transitions from ice to rock
are becoming more difficult. Often, the ground
in the melted area is gravelly and unstable.
To make the crossing of these zones safe they
must be secured with ladders or wire ropes
so that the tourists have something to hold
on to.
The rock begins to rock
The worst outcome of climate change has been
the thawing of permafrost (permafrost is at
or below the freezing point of water — 0°C
or 32°F — for two or more years). Once
the permafrost has melted away, the rock becomes
brittle, while rock fall activity increases.
Due to the severe recession of glaciers, the
pressure of the ice against the rock also
dwindles. The rock face too becomes increasingly
brittle, which results in rock falls such
as the one in 2006 on the Eiger’s east side.
Climate change cannot be held responsible
for a single rock fall. But the frequency
of such single events is definitely on the
rise. Around Grindelwald some of the more
problematic hiking trails have been secured
by man-made tunnels.
Several well-known high-altitude routes such
as the Jungfrau, Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn
routes are already threatened. Here, the record
warm summer of 2003 had a massive impact on
the dwindling snow cover and led to a significant
increase in rock fall activity.
Professional challenge
I strongly believe that mountain guides choose
their job because of their passion for the
mountains and their love of nature and adventure.
However, today mountain guides are often dispatched
for rock stabilization or clearance projects.
This has changed the job description as a
whole. Last year, for example, Grindelwald
Sports – Grindelwald’s mountaineering school
– generated more income from rock clearance
activities than from guided mountain tours.
At the beginning of the record warm summer
of 2003, conditions were excellent for us
as mountain guides. Peaks like the Eiger and
the Wetterhorn could be climbed as early as
mid-June, which in “normal” summers is not
possible until one month later. But I would
be more than happy to do without this benefit.
Because in such warm weather the 0°C temperature
limit moves up to over 4000m above sea level.
This means rain instead of snow, excessively
warm nights and rock falls.
Capturing opportunities
I live in the Alps, Europe’s major water reservoir.
The predicted drop in water levels due to
the melting of glaciers worries me deeply.
This will also affect electricity production.
Switzerland continues to produce sixty per
cent of its electricity from hydropower. My
grandchildren will not know the same carefree
water use we enjoy today.
Economically speaking, tourist destinations
such as Grindelwald will need to look for
new sources of income. The first steps in
this direction have already been taken. Although
laughed at initially, winter hiking is growing
in popularity. Certainly, the path will lead
away from classic, ski-based winter tourism,
as artificial snow is only a short- and mid-term
solution. In the winter of 2006/07 the production
of artificial snow was impossible for a number
of weeks because temperatures were too high.
I also see a future in other economic sectors
such as education and training for youngsters
and adults. Plus, a mounting number of companies,
regardless of their geographic location, do
business over the Internet. So why not establish
a research institute for climate research
in our valley? The subjects to study would
be right at our doorstep.
