Swiss hiking group warns against sweeping trail closures after Bondo

The Swiss Hiking Trails organisation has warned against widespread preventive closures of hiking routes after the Bondo rockfall case, SRF reported. Its managing director, Michael Roschi, said targeted temporary closures were necessary when there was a specific danger, but broad precautionary closures would be the wrong approach.

Eight people died in the Bondo rockfall nine years ago. The trial has now ended, raising broader questions about safety on Swiss hiking trails. The verdict is due on September 4.

Roschi said the case had prompted Swiss Hiking Trails to consider how it could better advise authorities and municipalities. Together with the Federal Roads Office, the organisation has drawn up a guide to preventing hazards.

Authorities, rather than Swiss Hiking Trails, decide whether routes should be closed. Roschi said he hoped fear of liability would not lead them to close large numbers of trails as a precaution. Mountain and alpine hiking routes inherently involve a degree of risk, he said.

Hikers must take significant personal responsibility, particularly on mountain and alpine trails. However, events such as rockfalls are difficult for non-specialists to predict, Roschi said. Experts are needed to assess conditions and close routes when necessary.

The level of safety expected depends on the type of trail. Yellow-marked hiking trails should have all dangerous spots secured. On red and white mountain trails, hikers are expected to be sure-footed, comfortable with heights and properly equipped. Alpine trails involve even greater demands on hikers, with fewer safety measures.

Several trails in a region may sometimes be closed at once. Roschi cited spring 2025, when heavy snowfall in Valais brought down many trees onto hiking routes. Such incidents are becoming more frequent, he said, while the number of closures does not rise steadily.

Open trails can generally be considered safe, Roschi said, but alpine hazards and weather conditions can change quickly. He advised hikers to plan an alternative route and know where they can shorten a tour if the weather or their physical condition deteriorates.