GEO805 Students Tackle Debris Flow Hazards in the Matter Valley
- Post by: Randy Muñoz
- June 16, 2025
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Last month, EClim member Christian Huggel, together with Brian McArdell, led an intensive field-based course on Natural Hazard and Risk Analysis in Mountain Regions (GEO805) for University of Zurich students.
After a day of learning how to simulate debris flows with RAMMS AG, the group headed to the Matter Valley (Herbriggen – St. Niklaus) for three days of hands-on fieldwork. Students assessed debris flow hazards, created hazard maps, and conducted full risk analyses — all within just four days.
“I’m always impressed by the steep learning curve of our students. Their outputs come close to professional standards,” noted Huggel.
Highlights of the course included:
- A field visit and exchange with Florian Frank (geoformer igp AG), who presented the Ritigraben hazard case and protection measures.
- Insights from Jörg Bumann, head of the Gemeindeführungsstab of St. Niklaus, on managing multiple natural hazards and emergency preparedness.
- A half-day excursion to Randa, examining debris flows at Dorfbach, the 1991 rockslide site, and avalanche alarm systems on Weisshorn and Bisgletscher, operated by Sensalpin GmbH and Geoprevent.
Many thanks to Hotel Bergfreund in Herbriggen for hosting the team.
This course exemplifies the importance of combining academic learning with real-world applications to equip the next generation of mountain risk specialists.
📎 Read the original post: LinkedIn