Institute of Geography and Sustainability of the University of Lausanne
Research projects
The evolution of recreational alpinism in a changing climate
Research fields |
Cultures and natures of tourism Margins, environment, landscapes |
Keywords |
Alpinism Adaptation Perception Governance Mountain |
Funding | |
Duration | February 2022 - January 2025 |
Website | |
Researchers |
Kebir Leïla (Supervision) [web] [email] Salim Emmanuel (Project coordinator) [web] [email] Mourey Jacques (Research Advisory) Crépeau Anne-Sophie (Research Advisory) Ravanel Ludovic (Research Advisory) |
Climate change is leading to a rapid evolution of the high mountains, changing the practices that take place there. Alpinism is one of them and is affected by numerous processes such as glacial retreat, the associated paraglacial period and the degradation of permafrost. In this context, work has been carried out to understand how professionals in the sector, particularly mountain guides, are affected by and adapt to these changes. However, no research has been carried out on the changes in the practices of recreational alpinists. The aim of this research project is therefore to determine how recreational alpinists perceive the impact of climate change on their practice and whether this influences their behaviour. It also aims to better understand information behaviour in order to propose tools to help alpinists adapt.