Last August (2019) I´ve joined Mitja Kobal on his assignment for @greenpeaceaustria. The whole assignment was to document all of Austria’s federal states and the impact climate change has already had on them. From the Alpine pastures to melting glaciers, seriously high peaks, to deep woodland, flatland, farmlands, lakes and the cities. Global warming particularly affects Austria’s sensitive and fragile alpine climate – glaciers and rising of the tree line. I joint him for two days to photograph the fastest retracting glaciers in Austria, the gorgeous Schlatenkees and also Kaunertal glacier.
After a day hike around Kaunertal, we decided to hike up the Schlatenkees in the late afternoon and sleep whenever we are too tired to walk. I´m not gonna lie, it was not an easy hike up, especially with all our equipment, but we know it´s gonna be worth it.
“Full moonlight and a couple of lingering soft clouds made a lovely light and later on a sweet goodnight story for sleeping on the mountain…” Mitja
Photos by : Mitja Kobal, Location: Schlatenkees, Tyrol, Austria
“Climate change and rising temperatures mean the end of the Alpine world as we know it. Alpine landmarks, ancient ice with all it’s history inside is melting away faster than ever and without immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be lost in a couple of decades.” Mitja Kobal, Greenpeace
Sleeping on a more or less flat rock under the stars and a glacier. Until the morning sun warm your face and gently wakes you up. Our camp and a morning coffee and breakfast with a View.Mitja on the ridge talking photos of the glacier. As beautiful as this morning view was, it was extremely hard to see in what state this glacier was. One of the fastest retracting glaciers in Austria, the gorgeous Schlatenkees.Schlatenkees (innergschlöss) Lost 67 meters of depth. The Glacier has a lot of narrowing, and therefore the ice supply is cut and affected more than others by withdrawal. 89 from 93 glaciers in Austria are retreating. The alpine glaciers have lost 50% of their ice in the last 100 years due to rising temperatures and different patterns in rain and snowfall. It does not matter so much how much snow falls each winter, but when. And recently, snow comes much later in the year and therefore it has no time to settle in the ice, instead it melts, which causes a chain-reaction as the melting of new snow carves the way through the glacier and speeds up the melting of the glacier itself. This is affecting the water deposit in the Alps as well as the tourism sector.Schlatenkees (Innergschlöss) Lost 67 meters of depth. The Glacier has a lot of narrowing, and therefore the ice supply is cut and affected more than others by withdrawal. photo Mitja Kobal | GreenpeaceGlacier on 10.8.2019 photo Mitja Kobal | GreenpeaceGlacier on 26.7. 2004 photo: Wikimedia
Visit Mitja´s Instagram profile for more photos from this Greenpeace assignment. As soon as the whole Greenpeace report is out, I will link it over here.
Go outside Getaway from the city and crowds Hike the mountains Visit (the melting) glaciers Sleep outdoors Look up at the stars ✨ Soak it all in Reconnect with nature and then do all you can to protect it.
