Eiskar Glacier

The Eiskar is the only glacier left in the Carnic Alps, a mountain range that straddles Austria and Italy. It sits high on a shady slope between 2,160 and 2,390 metres above sea level, where avalanches help keep snow and ice in place. Unlike many glaciers, it once reached down to the Valentinalm pasture below through a rock wall. Recent measurements show it is now turning into dead ice, though between 2007 and 2014 it did not shrink noticeably. The glacier can be reached by climbing a klettersteig from below or by walking along the Kellerwand rock face from above. The route passes old defensive positions built during the mountain war of 1915–1918. These remains lie scattered across the slopes, silent reminders of the fighting that took place here. Visitors find a stark alpine landscape of ice and rock, with the glacier’s surface now cracked and still. The high altitude gives wide views across the Carnic Alps. The climb up the klettersteig is steep, while the route from the Kellerwand is gentler but still exposed. The remains of the wartime positions add a historical layer to the scene.