Spending a day with people who are interested in the glacier world, global water supply and outdoor activities? The perfect day for us!

On Saturday, our day began with a snowshoe hike at the Diavolezza valley station, which took us to the Ice Stupa, our main attraction of the day. Not even the strong wind could stop the motivated group from having fun. On the way, the participants learned more about Ice Stupas, Ladakh and its water supply. Back in the warmth, there was glacier music from the TangoGlaciar Duo, whose music melted hearts instead of ice.

The day was far from over, as we continued with a lecture on the origins and significance of the Ice Stupas. The ice stupas are of particular importance for the Himalayan region. With the disappearance of the glaciers, large water reservoirs are being lost, which poses ever greater problems for irrigation in the barren heights of the Himalayas, especially in the Ladakh region. This is where the ice stupas come into play as innovative water reservoirs.

After looking at the Ice Stupas in pictures, it was time to see the real Ice Stupa from the inside. A 13-metre-high mass of ice, lighting that made the icicles inside shine even brighter and a warm drink awaited the guests. Finally, we ended the day with barley soup and glacier music.

Yesterday, the Swiss Ice Fiddlers spent New Year's Eve at the Hotel Morteratsch and accompanied the guests with music and the construction of a mini ice stupa. The guests enjoyed a musical world tour from the USA to the Isle of Man, Ireland, England, Shetland, Denmark and Switzerland. At the end, the Swiss Ice Fiddlers were delighted to receive a donation. The donation will go to Ladakh and will enable Surya (board member of the GlacierAlive association) to help the communities in Ladakh with their water supply.

Review of our excursion in Guttannen

The excursion, which took place on Saturday, February 11 in Guttannen, was a complete success. 11 motivated participants accompanied us on the themed trail 'The weather and us'. The trail leads along 28 stations where 26 villagers tell us how the weather affects their everyday lives. Using audio recordings and texts, the participants were able to find out how the people of Guttannen deal with extreme weather and climate change.

The walk was followed by the ice stupa festival (organized by the municipality of Guttannen), where participants were able to visit the ice stupa, have a good dinner and enjoy a performance by the Swiss Ice Fiddlers. In the evening, the Swiss Ice Fiddlers performed in front of around 50 participants in front of the ice stupa. What a special stage!