Salzburg's eternal ice

Two glaciers are already too small to measure

The Ödenwinklkees in Stubachtal lost 59.1 meters in length in one year, more than any other glacier in Salzburg.(Bild: Roland Hölzl)

Salzburg's glaciers are melting faster and faster, according to the Alpine Association's glacier report. High-alpine test sites are now being eliminated due to the loss of ice.

The Alpine Association's glacier report, which documents the development of the perpetual ice, does not have good news for Salzburg's ice giants for the past year either. 2023/24 was the year with the third largest decline in recorded history. In Salzburg, the Ödenwinklkees had the largest decline at 59.1 meters.

The glacier near the Rudolfshütte in Uttendorf already had the biggest decline the year before. In two years, the loss in length was almost 100 meters. The melting is accelerating from year to year. "Since 1960, the Ödenwinklkees has lost more than 600 meters in length, a third of it in the last eight years," says Salzburg glaciologist Gabriel Seitlinger in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

The disintegration of the glaciers creates impressive ice caves.(Bild: ÖAV Gletschermessdienst/Sepp Nussbaumer)

For other glaciers, the question arises as to how long they will still fall under the common definition of a glacier. "We will open two measuring points in Salzburg this year. The Totenkopfkees and Landeckkees are no longer really glaciers," explains Seitlinger.

Above all, the small areas of ice are no longer representative of the development of the glaciers. This year's measurements have shown the massive disintegration of the perpetual ice. "From the outside, you can't see how hollow the glacier is on the inside," says Seitlinger, addressing a problem for mountaineers too.