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Mountain guides renounce Jungfrau ascent due to rock fall

jungfrau
Keystone / Anthony Anex

For the first time in over 100 years, Swiss mountain guides will no longer be accompanying alpinists on the classic route to the summit of Jungfrau. 

A crevasse has opened up transforming into an ice wall that can only be climbed with special equipment, the Sonntagszeitung reported on Sunday. In addition, there is also a danger of falling rocks near the summit of the popular 4,158m peak in the Bernese Highlands. 

“We no longer offer the tour to the Jungfrau until at least the end of August. Conditions are bad at the moment due to the lack of snowfall last winter and the very warm temperatures at the moment,” says the website of the Outdoor mountain tourism firm. 

Groups that strayed from the route had repeatedly triggered rockfalls. This made it too dangerous for mountain guides and their clients who were forced to turn back.

There are four routes to the summit of the Jungfrau. The easiest and most popular route is the one that starts from the Mönchsjoch hut, near the Jungfraujoch station that is accessible by a mountain railway service popular with tourists. 
 

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