Thawing glaciers threaten Swiss village with catastrophic landslide

The Swiss village of Kandersteg, nestled in the Bern canton, is under threat from a potentially catastrophic landslide. A mountainside rock formation known as Spitze Stei is unstable, with scientists attributing the heightened risk to thawing permafrost caused by climate change. This frozen ground, which normally binds rock and soil, is melting due to rising temperatures, increasing the danger of rockslides.

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You are aware that it’s happening, but not afraid.

Residents are aware of the danger, but a sense of calm prevails. "You are aware that it’s happening, but not afraid," said Brigitte Jüni, an inhabitant, to CNN. She noted that authorities have taken precautions, but ultimately, "it’s nature, and you never know."

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But then it’s nature. It’s nature, and you never know.

The situation in Kandersteg is being closely monitored. Since 2018, paragliders observed the rock formation losing height and pieces breaking off. While the threat is not immediate, unlike the nearby village of Blatten which was evacuated before a massive rock and ice slide in May 2025 causing significant insurance losses, Kandersteg has evacuation plans. Dams and daily monitoring by researchers using GPS, radar, and drones help prepare for a potential disaster. Residents are assured they would receive at least 48 hours' warning of major rock movement.

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This isn’t the same case as in Blatten. It’s a different situation.

Local resident Rudolf Isler commented, "This isn’t the same case as in Blatten. It’s a different situation. We are not afraid of the Spitze Stei rock. It’s been many years seeing stones falling from up there. The problem here is about global warming and rising temperatures." Robert Kenner from the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos confirmed Kandersteg's historical structural instability, now aggravated by factors like permafrost. "What calmed down for about 3,000 years is now reactivated," he stated.

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We are not afraid of the Spitze Stei rock. It’s been many years seeing stones falling from up there. The problem here is about global warming and rising temperatures.