Melting Glacier at Dachstein Gletscher Resort, Austria, Exposes Long-Lost Ski Lift Remains

As the European Alps are in the grasp of a summer heatwave, Austria’s Dachstein Glacier has retreated to reveal a historic relic: the skeletal remains of an old ski lift, once buried under thick ice. The find of the old Hunerkogel, which was constructed in 1969, is the sad testament to climate change. While this may seem counter-intuitive at first, it makes sense when comparing the glacier from 1958 with 2013. A study by Copernicus shows that the surface of the glacier has shifted dramatically over the last seventy years. In 1958, 11 years before the Hunerkogel surface lift was installed, the glacier rose higher but at its center fell away more dramatically. As the glacier retreated, the icy mass shifted down and consolidated in the middle of the glacier, burying the Hunerkogel surface lift in the late 70s. Now, as the horizontal line of the glacier recedes further, the lift is resurfacing again.

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Ski operations on the glacier had been declining for years. In 2016, the resort ceased to offer summer skiing on its glacier and in 2022 the resort announced it was unable to offer skiing in winter, as the crevasses on the glacier became too dangerous to open safely. In March 2023, operating company Dachstein Gletscherbahn Ramsau started taking down the lift towers of the three remaining surface lifts on the glacier. A chair lift and a gondola remain in operation year-round for hiking and climbing. The resort features a hanging bridge, ice palace, and a skywalk viewing platform. The glacier, situated between 7,428 feet (2,264 meters) and 8,858 feet (2,700 meters), has always been more popular during the summer months than the winter due to its spectacular vantage point. While the Dachstein Glacier may be closed forever for winter sports, the resort is part of the Schladming Dachstein area which offers a total of 230 kilometers of ski slopes across seven resorts.

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Recent warm summers have melted European glaciers at an alarming rate—scientists report losses of up to 10 cm (4 inches) of ice per day at its glaciers, and warn that the Dachstein may disappear entirely within the next few decades. The area has been subject to several studies as the glacial loss has been very pronounced in the Dachstein massif. Technically, the Dachstein Glacier consists of two glaciers: Hallstätter Glacier and the Schladminger Glacier. The two glaciers are currently connected, but the thin connecting strip—part of a popular ski tour—is melting fast and could soon disappear, leaving the glaciers forever separated.

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In 1856, the Hallstätter Glacier reached its last high point, measuring 5.27 square kilometers (2.03 square miles). In the past 150 years, it has lost 42.3% of this area and has fallen back to 37% of its volume at that time. However, this decline has not taken place evenly and was also interrupted by short advance periods. Worryingly, the Hallstätter Glacier has lost one third of its mass since 2006. Scientists are measuring the glacial loss in Dachstein carefully. On March 28, 2025, extensive glacial measurements were carried out by radar. These measurements are currently being analyzed and compared to similar measurements taken in 2009 and a detailed report will be released later this year which should give a better understanding about the glacial loss in the last 15 years.