Technical article in bergundsteigen Summer 2026

In the Summer 2026 issue of the specialist magazine bergundsteigen, the DIGIWAY project is presented in detail. The focus lies on current challenges in mountain hiking and on the question of how reliable digital information can contribute to improving tour planning and safety. Particular emphasis is placed on the project’s key results and products, which are presented and contextualised in detail.

Ausschnitt der Ausgesetztheitskarte für die Nordkette bei Innsbruck, so wie im Fachmagazin bergundsteigen dargestellt.

Excerpt from the exposure map at the Nordkette near Innsbruck. More in the article. © DIGIWAY

Schließen

The article highlights that mountain hiking, while being one of the most popular alpine activities, also accounts for the highest number of fatal accidents. Inconsistent and incomplete information makes it difficult to realistically assess requirements and risks.
DIGIWAY addresses precisely this issue by creating a cross-border, harmonised geodata basis for the Euregio Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino. Three key results are at the centre: the exposure map, the comparison of trail classifications, and the harmonisation of official geodata.

Key results

The exposure map shows the potential consequences of a fall along a trail and thus complements the traditional assessment of trail difficulty with a crucial additional aspect. It enables a better evaluation of risks already during tour planning and has proven to be highly informative in terrain evaluations.
Another focus is the comparability of trail classifications. By analysing existing systems and separating key criteria – technical difficulty, consequences, and natural hazards – requirements can be communicated more clearly and transparently.
In addition, a technical solution has been developed that automatically harmonizes official geodata and provides it as an open dataset – an important foundation for future digital applications.

Contribution of the DIGIWAY project

The article clearly demonstrates that reliable and transparent data are a key prerequisite for safe decision-making in mountain sports. DIGIWAY provides essential building blocks for this and shows how digital technologies can sustainably improve tour planning and risk communication.