Our goal

This project group wants to reduce avoidable accidents and rescue operations on Europe’s trails. We investigate the greatest dangers associated with trail use and develop measures that trail organizations can take to reduce them.

Why this matters

Some dangers come from nature: storms, floods, forest fires, rockfalls and landslides. Others come from people. Many accidents start with a trail user who did not know what lay ahead or who overestimated their own abilities. Both kinds of danger can be reduced with good information before and during the trip, but this information is often missing, hard to understand or different in every country.

For trail organizations, safety is also a question of responsibility. They need to know which risks exist on their trails and how to communicate them clearly.

Why now

More people than ever are heading into the mountains and onto long-distance trails, and many of them have little experience. Routes shared on social media attract visitors who are not prepared for the conditions. Rescue services across the Alps report that they are busier than ever. At the same time, climate change is making rockfall, landslides and sudden weather changes more frequent. Good safety information is needed now, not after the next serious accident.