Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta icecare. Mostrar todas as mensagens
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta icecare. Mostrar todas as mensagens

04/07/2009

Placing the plate

It's in Portuguese....sorry

At the hut





Konkordia Hut ended up being, one of the most effective ways to measure the glacier.
The hut is currently 150m above the glacier – in 1965 was ‘only’ 79m above it.
Due to glacier retreat, every year new steps are added to the huge staircase (433 steps) that accesses the hut.The ICE CARE team placed a plate, which will allow for future comparison of the glacier’s height, year upon year, thus make the retreat visible to everyone.




03/07/2009

Brief explanation



The ICE CARE Aletsch team is composed of 4 people.
(from left to right)
. José Diogo Tavares (mentor of the project) – traveled from Paris to Switzerland on mountain bike, crossed the glacier and was present at the meetings with UNESCO and WWF
. José Maria Abecasis Soares (mentor of the project) – did exactly the same
. Nuno Frazão (environmental engineer) – more technical role, preparing recommendations, research and meetings with WWF. Sandra Sousa (doctor) – supports the team during the Aletsch crossing, as part of the agreement with HPP Saúde – Official Medical Service

Crossing the glacier



Starting on Jungfraujoch (Swiss Alps), at 4,158m, we walk on groups of 8, roped up to each others.
Herb, our guide from GrindelWaldSports, is the ice version of Crocodile Dundee! During our trip, he told us many stories of a live spent on the mountains, witnessing glaciers retreat year upon year.
On the first day, we walked more than 8km over the glacier, during almost 6 hours.
The slow pace is due, mainly to 3 reasons:
. the effects of altitude
. the very group’s heterogeneity (people of different ages and physical conditions)
. the danger of the crevasses that tear the ice several meters deep and, most of the times, are dissimulated under the snow

See more pictures at:
http://fotos.sapo.pt/search.html?word=jungfrau
http://www.icecare.org/Fotos.ice