Abstract ID: 3.11129 | Accepted as Talk | Poster | TBA | TBA

Mountaineering in the Alps faces significant changes due to the rapid and extensive of climate change-induced glacier retreat. Glacier retreat and related geomorphological and periglacial processes alter the surrounding alpine landscape, increase occurrence of slope instabilities and mass movements and have a strong impact on the hiking infrastructure of trails and huts. Impacts include trail damage, the need for relocations of trails, a potential loss or deterioration of water resources required for hut operation and increased risk for mountaineers. Consequently, alpine infrastructure management requires more accurate and up-to-date information on the diverse glacier retreat impacts on alpine hiking infrastructure and the potential risks for mountaineers. Relevant information can be derived from Earth observation (EO) data. In the project ReHIKE (Analysing Glacier Retreat Effects on Alpine Hiking Infrastructure using Earth Observation), we discussed current problems of the hiking infrastructure with stakeholders involved in trail and hut keeping for gathering requirements to information about glacier retreat impact. Accordingly, we create up-to-date, targeted maps that highlight areas affected by and prone to natural hazards, as well as hiking infrastructure requiring higher maintenance. Therefore, we use various EO data and techniques to map changes in the glacier extent and surrounding periglacial areas. We analyse the impact of glacier retreat on the alpine trail network in the vicinity of selected glaciers along the main ridge of the Austrian Alps. We use a time-series analysis of Sentinel-1 and 2 data from the Copernicus programme to map glacier extent, glacier foreland features, and their changes over the past ten years, monitor the instability of slopes, and identify mass movements. The different EO-derived maps will serve as a basis for analyzing impact on the trail network and hut locations in the study areas comprehensively. These information products will support alpine infrastructure managers in evaluating future efforts for trail maintenance and estimating where (along the trail or route) and to what extend mountaineers are facing a higher risk due to intensifying hazards. Further, these results enable scientific investigations on climate change adaptation and help alpine associations in developing adequate adaptation measures and in improving the awareness of increased hazards in the mountaineering community.