Rega reports rise in mountain rescue missions this year

Swiss air rescue service Rega has carried out 323 missions for mountain accidents since the start of 2026, 39 more than during the same period last year, SRF reported on Saturday.

The missions involved people who got into trouble while climbing or taking part in high-altitude tours. Accidents involving hikers or skiers are not included in the figures.

Rega spokesman Mathias Gehrig said the increase could be linked to the fine weather, which may have encouraged more people to go climbing and undertake high-altitude tours. He said Rega crews did not assess why individuals got into emergency situations.

More generally, Rega’s mission numbers reflect weather conditions, people’s leisure and travel patterns, and the presence of foreign tourists. More people spend time outdoors during good weather, holiday periods and weekends, leading to more accidents, Gehrig said.

The Swiss Alpine Club, known as the SAC, does not yet have current figures. It compiles and analyses mountain emergency data at the beginning of each year for the previous year.

In 2025, mountain rescue services evacuated almost 4,000 people involved in mountain sports in Switzerland. That was about 11 percent above the average for 2020 to 2024. However, 98 people died while taking part in traditional mountaineering, the lowest figure in the past decade.

The SAC attributed the rise in emergencies last year partly to the large number of people in the mountains, reflected in record overnight stays in mountain huts. Conditions in high-altitude areas have also become more difficult in some places this year.

A snow-poor winter, a very warm spring and repeated heatwaves since the beginning of summer have caused many glaciers to lose their protective snow cover, exposing bare ice. Thawing permafrost has also increased the risk of falling rocks and made some sections of terrain unstable, the SAC said.