Stickers covering warning signs create danger in Alpine gorge

Stickers covering rockfall warning signs at the Höllentalklamm gorge near the Zugspitze are creating a safety risk, BR reports. Litter, graffiti and damaged notices have become recurring problems at the popular mountain destination.

Bernhard Ostler, the gorge warden, and Martin Willibald, managing director of the German Alpine Club’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen section, regularly find discarded snack bags, empty bottles and banana peels along the route. Some rubbish is left directly beneath the free waste bags provided for visitors by the Alpine Club.

Those responsible repeatedly have to clean the area around the entrance hut. Florian Michailoff, who runs the hut, said collecting rubbish and removing dirt had become part of everyday work. He is particularly frustrated when people who are not his guests leave their waste behind.

Graffiti damages memorials and rocks

Graffiti and other damage are also causing concern. The responsible staff regularly check for new markings. A memorial, known locally as a Marterl, has recently been sprayed, which they consider especially disrespectful.

The Höllentalklamm is not an isolated case. Carolin Kalkbrenner, head of huts and trails for the Munich section of the German Alpine Club, said similar graffiti had been found on rocks below the Watzmannhaus and in the Wetterstein mountains above the Reintalangerhütte.

The money and working hours spent removing the damage would, those responsible say, be better invested in maintaining trails and huts.

Covered signs pose a safety risk

At several points in the gorge, signs warn of falling rocks. Some have been completely covered with stickers and are now difficult to read. The signs must be replaced so that hikers do not remain in the danger zone for too long.

Visitors can help by taking their rubbish back down with them. Stickers and graffiti have no place on rocks, memorials or warning signs, particularly where they conceal safety information.

The people responsible for the Höllentalklamm are urging visitors to respect the work of volunteers and the protected natural environment. Keeping the gorge clean and following its warnings will help ensure that the Alpine natural monument remains safe and accessible.