Gigantic rock fall on Monte Rosa

The rockslide occurred at the weekend not far from the summit of the Dufourspitze (4,634 m). On the south side, the rock masses thundered down to Lake Locce and the Pedriola Alp at almost 2,380 meters.

The resulting dust had turned the snow grayish throughout the valley, including the tongue of the Belvedere Glacier and parts of the surrounding ski slopes. The currently closed Rifugio Zamboni Zappa at an altitude of 2,070 meters was also hit by the rock masses.

“It’s a huge replacement that is still underway,” several media outlets quoted local mountain rescuer Luca Tondat as saying. The local had recorded the rock masses with his drone. No one was injured because no one was in the affected area during the demolition. However, Tondat warned that more pieces of rock would break off in the coming days.

“My urgent advice: Don’t go towards the Pedriola Alm in the next few days. The rockslide continues,” the Frankfurter Rundschau quoted. There is currently no information available about the exact extent of the damage, as the entire area is closed for the time being due to the danger. The weather service Meteo Live Verbano Cusio Ossola cites high temperatures in combination with a lack of snow as one of the possible reasons.

The Monte Rosa massif in the Valais Alps marks the border between Italy and Switzerland. The main peak is the Dufourspitze at 4,634 meters, the highest mountain in Switzerland. Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe after Mont Blanc. The massif is particularly famous for its east face, which at around 2,400 meters is the highest wall in the entire Alps.