Abstract ID: 3.11371 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

Climate change is having a significant impact on mountain areas worldwide. Retreating glaciers and associated paraglacial processes, as well as thawing permafrost, are affecting recreational activities in mountain areas. Alpinism, defined by UNESCO (2019, p. 4) as “the art of climbing high mountain peaks and walls, in all seasons, in rocky or icy terrain, using one’s own physical, technical and intellectual abilities and appropriate techniques, equipment and highly specific tools”, is particularly affected, with routes becoming more difficult, less likely to be in good climbing conditions, or sometimes even disappearing (Mourey et al., 2022). This phenomenon affects the work of mountain guides, who adapt by becoming more reactive to conditions, increasing their spatial and temporal patterns, and making strategic changes to their behaviour (Hanly and McDowell, 2023). However, as the practice is mainly autonomous and informal, little is known about how recreational alpinists perceive such changes in the mountain environment and alpine routes, nor how they adapt their behaviour.

Accordingly, the aim of this submission is to present the results of a mixed-methods approach aimed at understanding recreational alpinists’ perceptions of the consequences of climate change and their adaptation behaviours. The results are based on 1071 questionnaires distributed through social media platforms in the European Alps in 2022-2023, as well as 30 semi-structured interviews conducted with respondents in 2024. The results show how alpinists adapt their practices to climate change, how it affects their motivations and how they seek climate services to prepare their activities.