Stechelberg

The name "Stächelbärg" is first recorded in 1749 to describe this part of the valley.^[1] Stechelberg was primarily utilised for iron ore mining and smelting, with facilities at Sichellauenen and Trachsellauenen. A painting of 1790 by Johann Niklaus Schie showed that the latter facility comprised 18 gallery roofs, and a widely deforested area. In 1805 Hans Conrad Escher, a civil engineer and geologist from Zurich (builder of the Linth Canal) was tasked by the Bernese government with evaluating the productivity of the plant. Based on his assessment, mining was officially suspended, although the mine continued to be operated on a smaller scale by locals until around 1860.^[2] Since then, reforestation programmes have largely restored the area around the village, which has been declared a protected natural area.

Stechelberg has been known to suffer from avalanches. In 2003, during heavy snowfall Stechelberg suffered multiple avalanches that led to the evacuation of residents and tourists.^[3] In May 2023, mountaineer Kacper Tekieli was killed in an avalanche.^[4] Several days later, three Dutch tourists, including mountaineer Line van den Berg, were also found dead after a suspected avalanche prior to their climb of the Grosshorn mountain.^[5][6] The village has multiple permanent shelters, and a siren alert system, to protect residents in the event of an occurrence.^[7]