Disappeared ski lift resurfaces following a half-century beneath glacial ice

Shrinking ice in the Alps exposes forgotten artifacts, presenting challenges for the tourism sector due to glacier retreat.

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2025 September 3 . 8:35 AM

2 min read

Re-emergence of abandoned ski lift following half a century of glacier dissolution

Disappeared ski lift resurfaces following a half-century beneath glacial ice

The Hallstatt Glacier in Austria has recently witnessed a remarkable discovery - the resurfacing of an old ski lift, buried under the ice for nearly five decades. The reappearance of this historical artifact is a stark reminder of the accelerated effects of climate change on our environment.

Built in 1970, the ski lift was initially located on the Dachstein glacier. However, just a few years after its construction, it was buried under snow and ice due to rising temperatures causing the glacier to shrink. Fast forward to today, and the ski lift has emerged from the ice, a few days ago, as a result of the same climate change-induced glacier retreat.

Georg Bliem, the head of the Dachstein Glacier Railway, reported the discovery to the German Press Agency (dpa). The ski lift, which was possible to use for summer skiing when it was initially constructed, has now revealed long-forgotten infrastructure and artifacts such as wooden parts of the lift and an old lift ticket.

The melting ice has also necessitated the relocation and securing of hiking trails to prevent accidents into newly exposed crevasses. The Hallstatt Glacier's retreat has led to the creation of these crevasses, which were previously covered by ice.

The broader impact of climate change on the Austrian Alps includes environmental degradation, such as poorer air quality, erosion, and challenges to tourism linked to disappearing ice attractions like the glacier's "ice palace," which may only last another four to five years.

This discovery was previously reported by "Kronen Zeitung" in Upper Austria, highlighting both local environmental transformations and broader alpine impacts of global warming. The Hallstatt Glacier's retreat due to climate change has directly uncovered the remnants of this historic ski lift, serving as a poignant symbol of the changes our planet is undergoing.