Rutschung Weissenberge
The active landslide at the Weissenberge ob Matt has already changed the landscape of the region several times in the past and required powerful work for the renewal and securing of the crossing paths and road sections.
If you look closely, you can see the landslide in the terrain (see illustrated photo). The upper edge runs at the height of Hüsliberg at approx. 1,500 m above sea level. Below this are several large, stepped flattening of the terrain. In the lower area of the slide, the stepped ledges below Endi are very striking. In these steps, there are characteristics of the "sagged" large floes within the slide body.
At the lower edge of the landslide, the landslide "flows" into the Krauchbach. The bridge, which crosses it at the lower end of the landslide, also had to be renewed (see photo). The erosion force of the Krauchbach is able to keep pace with the ongoing material input through the landslide, otherwise the slide front would collide with the left side of the Krauchtal.
All indications of the existence of the landslide are not only road and path damage, but also long-term damage to buildings, ruptured sewage pipes and displaced utility poles. The best known, however, is the "Schiefe Stübli" of the over 200-year-old Weissenberge restaurant, which has sunk by more than 20 cm on the valley side over time.
Since there are no displacement measurements, the slide velocities are estimated on the basis of the tracks on the terrain surface. It is assumed that the Weissenberge landslide is generally of low intensity.<2 cm/Jahr).
If you rummage through the archive of the Weissenberge, you can read the "never-ending story" of the gigantic landslide or enjoy a delicacy in the "Schiefes Stübli" of the "Wirtschaft zum Weissenberg". This is located directly at the mountain station of the Matt-Weissenberge gondola lift and is also considered the starting point for beautiful hikes.
If you want to see the slide area up close, follow the hiking trail from the valley to the mountain station. This crosses the landslide area in the lower part near Weid.
