Multi-day excursion with students from BORG Deutschlandsberg to the Simony Hut and the Hallstätter Glacier.
As part of the elective course “Regional Mountain Geography” at BORG Deutschlandsberg, the third major excursion took students to the Hallstatt Glacier in the Dachstein massif. The aim was to explore the glacier and its surroundings from geographical, geological, and climatic perspectives.
Using the cable car and then continuing on foot, the group traversed different alpine elevation zones—from the montane zone with deciduous and mixed forests, through the alpine zone with stone pine forests and alpine meadows, up to the nival zone above the tree line, where the glacier is located. These extreme altitudes are not only visually striking but also crucial for understanding glacier formation.
After an impressive sunrise at around 2,300 meters, the glacier excursion itself began. Accompanied by mountain guides Christoph and Michael, the students hiked for about 45 minutes to the edge of the glacier, put on their crampons, and formed two rope teams. The goal was to investigate the glacier in more detail:
- Hydrochloric acid tests revealed that the rock consists of carbonate.
- Samples of cryoconite—a dark deposit found on the ice—were collected and later analyzed in the chemistry lab.
- Using a light meter and a thermal imaging camera, the students analyzed the albedo and heat storage of ice and rock.
- Ice samples were taken from a large crevasse.
In the evening, the ice, snow, and water samples were melted at the hut and compared in terms of pH value and conductivity. This provided the students with valuable insights into the changes affecting the glacier and its environment.
After a long day—covering more than nine kilometers on foot and filled with numerous exciting impressions—the group returned to the Simony Hut via the Eissee.
Read the full report on the school’s website:
