Despite danger to life

Hikers simply climb over barriers

Dangerous situations occur time and time again due to unruly recreational athletes

(Bild: Forstbetreib Roiß)

Although there is an acute danger to life from falling trees or rocks in popular hiking areas, recreational hikers simply climb over or remove barriers. In order to avoid dangerous situations, forestry work has to be interrupted time and again. Now it's time to report it!

Forest protection officer Thomas Roiß is angry: time and again, hikers ignore the restricted forest area in the Upper Austrian Pesenbach Valley in Feldkirchen/D., even though there is a danger to life from falling trees or rocks. Since mid-December, work has been underway at full speed to make the popular hiking area accessible again after wind and snow damage, but the work has to be interrupted at least once a day.

Closures simply ignored
The reason: recreational athletes climb over the barriers or simply move them aside. "We then have to stop working immediately, descend from the steep terrain to the hikers and chase them away," explains Roiß.

"Lazy" excuses
Those caught out don't always react with understanding, and the forestry workers are often ridiculed: "We've come from so far away, we didn't want to just leave again"; "I'm not from here, I didn't know" or "You're not working anyway because you can't hear anything" are the excuses given.

If a log slips out of the rope, it thunders onto the path with 2000 kilos.

Thomas Roiß vom Forstschutz

Danger to life for the ignorant
Roiß believes that hikers are completely unaware of the dangers. "If a log slips out of the rope, it thunders onto the path with 2000 kilos. Rocks have also come loose that were so heavy that I couldn't even lift them away with the crane," he says.

Unfortunately nothing new
Unfortunately, the unteachable are nothing new to him: "It happens all the time. Two years ago, someone drove their car around a barrier. He even wanted to start the tractor we had parked on the road and drive away so that he could get past," recalls the forestry worker.

Now it's being reported
Those responsible in the Pesenbach Valley have finally had enough: any violation of the roadblock will be reported to the police. It is difficult to estimate how long work will continue there. The fact is that only geologists will decide on a final clearance.