Large dust cloud due to massive rockfall at the Zugspitze

There has been a major rockfall in the border area between Germany and Austria. A huge cloud of dust has been hanging over Germany's highest mountain ever since. According to the mountain guard, no one was injured. From BR24 editorial staff, Katrin Bohlmann, Martin Breitkopf, Markus Wolf In several videos that can be seen on social media, a huge cloud of dust moves from the Zugspitze to Grainau.

In addition, you can always hear loud crashes. Larger masses of rock have been loosening on the mountain for hours since Tuesday morning. The rock came down directly on the border crest between Germany and Austria, according to the Grainau Mountain Guard. So far, there has been no damage to facilities or paths.

There are many hiking trails in the holiday region, but not in the steep and inaccessible area below the demolition point. Drones are scheduled to depart the area today. Violent rockfall: Unusual but not surprising The demolitions continued on Wednesday: "Something is always loosening," said deputy readiness manager Franz Dörfler from the Grainau mountain station. "Apparently it's crumbling again now." Such events are no longer surprising, but the dimension is unusual for the 2,962-metre-high mountain, "explained Franz Dörfler from the Grainau Mountain Guard.

“To that extent, it's definitely not more often, but it's not surprising either.” In Dörfler's words, the rock on the Zugspitze is held together by the permafrost. Since the permafrost is dwindling with climate change and rising temperatures, rock breaks are increasing. Rockfall does not affect excursions After the rockfall, the mountain railways run on the Tyrolean side of the Zugspitze without interference: both the Tyrolean Zugspitze Railway and the Ehrwalder Almbahn, which is located a little further south, started operation on Wednesday as usual, as can be seen from the websites of the two companies.

In the municipality of Ehrwald, there had been no damage and no effects, said an employee of the municipal office. The area around the Ehrwalder Almbahn is a few kilometres further south. There are no restrictions on the Zugspitzbahn on the Bavarian side either. There is no danger for either the mountain station or the cable car, it was said on BR24 request.

A spokeswoman pointed out that the systems were continuously monitored by independent testing bodies and with the help of sensors. In addition, the responsible geologist of the Bavarian Zugspitz Railway had been informed of the incident. Rockfalls in Bavaria, most recently in the Allgäu and in the National Park Similar demolitions have already been observed at the Zugspitze in the past, but to a lesser extent. However, such a large demolition could not yet be documented there.

Major rockfalls had recently occurred in Bavaria at the Allgäu Rubihorn and at the Trischübel Pass in the Berchtesgaden National Park. With material from the dpa This is the European perspective at BR24. "Here's Bavaria": The Br24 NEWSLETTER informs you about the most important things of the day at a glance – compactly and directly in your private mailbox – every Monday to Friday after work. Click here to register!

Source: Bayern-1-Nachrichten

09/23/2026 - 08:00