Answer

By Anonymous

The dangers of climate change were recently highlighted with the rescue of a severely hypothermic Birmingham climber from a crevasse in the Tyrol, after strong sun melted the surface ice. Following the closing of the Eiger’s north face due to unstable snow and rock, Alpine climbing may be facing a climatic crisis. Rockfalls due to receding permafrost-loosened slabs and the rate of glacial melting have also increased. “Glaciers have receded 30 per cent on average in the last 100 years, five per cent in summer 2003 alone,” warns Dr Anthony Patt from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “This means that many maps and guidebooks may be out of date, so check with local climbers whether they’re tracking any special dangers.” Global change expert Dr Dagmar Schroeter adds: “Simulations indicate that reliable snowlines may rise up to 400m by the end of this century – approximately 150m per 1 deg C of warming.”