Permafrost Detected in Andorra's Pyrenees for First Time

AR+I and the Kilian Jornet Foundation have identified indicators of permafrost at Clots de la Menera in Grau Roig, Andorra, through initial findings from the three-year European Permapyrenees project.

Researcher Anna Echeverria from AR+I reported soil temperatures close to 0°C at about 10 metres depth under a rock glacier. This suggests the presence of permafrost, though its precise boundaries—whether across a glacial cirque, just the walls, or a limited area—require further study. "We have found a zone near 0 degrees at 10 metres depth," she explained, adding that it prompts deeper investigation into frozen rock in the glacial cirque.

The project, co-funded by the EU's Interreg POCTEFA programme, extends beyond Andorra to French and Catalan Pyrenees sites. Its second phase, Permapyrenees-2, is now underway and will span another three years. Plans include analysing water for microbial activity and age, which could span thousands of years, while assessing mountain stability risks.

Gerard Vila, director of the Kilian Jornet Foundation, which handles project communications, emphasised the implications. Thawing permafrost, driven by climate change, creates voids between rocks that heighten rockfall dangers, as observed recently in the Alps. This affects safety for mountaineers and climbers and threatens slopes stabilising infrastructure and roads.

The announcement coincided with the premiere of a documentary, Permapyrenees: Allò que canvia sota els nostres peus, canvia la muntanya, filmed in Grau Roig and Besiberris in Vall d'Aran. Examples of related hazards include massifs like Maladeta and Aneto, where stonefalls have injured visitors. While Andorra's immediate risks appear lower, experts warn of broader Pyrenean changes mirroring Alpine trends over the past century.