Around 50 people die every year on Swiss mountain hikes or climbs, numbers that are driving local officials to push for better measures to limit mountaineering fatalities, which surpass those of any other sport.
A further 37,000 people are injured on Swiss mountains annually, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) reported on Tuesday, making Switzerland's largest attraction also its deadliest.
"Accidents often happen because hikers misjudge the risks and challenges along the way," the BFU said in statement on Tuesday. This makes careful planning essential, the officials say.
The high number of accidents is also due to the fact that hiking is one of the most popular sports in Switzerland: Almost 60% of the Swiss resident population aged 15 and over hike regularly, the BFU said.
Officials now plan to have routes assessed by experts according to dangers such as risk of falling and the ability to manage the entire route. Many accidents happen because hikers overestimate their abilities, the Swiss council noted.
The information will be freely accessible to hikers - and can be accessed through an app on a smartphone. It is not yet clear when the service will be available.
The trails are walked by trained people and the criteria of danger and difficulty at to be assessed independently of each other along the route.
The death toll for Austria's Alps is similarly high, with 266 people dying in 2023 while hiking, skiing or climbing on mountains, mostly due to cardiovascular problems, local officials say. In 66 cases, people died after falls.