Adula glacier retreats, Ticino could lose its glaciers within years

The glacier on Piz Terri and the Adula, the highest mountain in Ticino, lost up to 10 metres in length in some spots over the past summer, the hottest on record. That is according to Mattia Soldati, a forestry engineer for the canton of Ticino and a glacier specialist.

In late September, a team from RSI's Quotidiano programme climbed above 3,000 metres together with cantonal experts to document the retreat. There was no snow at the summit: the little snow that had fallen in early June had quickly melted in the heat.

Until last year, the ice of the Adula was still connected to that of the Grauhorn. This summer the two separated, now divided by a stretch of rock: a situation never seen before. Soldati says the glacier's front retreated by 50 metres at its lower end compared with the first measurements, and that the ice thickness at the upper end has thinned markedly.

Measurements are taken on foot along the glacier's front, using a pole fitted with a high-precision GPS device. The data collected will be compared with previous years' figures and published on GLAMOS, the portal that monitors Switzerland's glaciers on behalf of three universities.

More danger for mountain-goers

Ice also acts as a natural barrier against rockfalls. Its retreat therefore increases the risks for climbers and hikers: in mid-August, a rockfall injured three people climbing toward the summit. According to Soldati, the classic route to the Adula is now discouraged because it runs close to a ridge from which rocks often fall, and the suitable climbing season is expected to shift earlier, from late May to July.

The change is also being felt by those who work at altitude. At the Adula SAC hut, at 2,000 metres, hut keeper Mirella Rizzi says business was slow this summer because of the excessive heat. Her colleague Raffaele Demaldi notes that the hut relies mainly on day visitors and on trails that do not lead to the summit, which makes him less worried about the future. It remains to be seen how well the local economy tied to high-mountain tourism can adapt to the changes already under way.

The local data confirm a nationwide trend. A report by the Swiss Academy of Sciences, published in early October, estimates that Swiss glaciers lost an average of 5.5% of their volume over the past year, almost a fifth over the last five years. The report describes the loss as "extreme", driven by low snowfall last winter and very high summer temperatures, and states that at this rate alpine glaciers have no chance of surviving in the long term, not even the largest ones, such as the Aletsch glacier between the cantons of Bern and Valais.

According to Soldati, if coming summers are as hot as the one just past, Ticino's glaciers could disappear within 5 to 6 years.