The Sulztalferner GlacierA 63-Year-Old Backpack Reappears from the Sulztalferner Glacier
In August 1963, 23-year-old German climber Alfred Rothfischer was descending Austria’s Schrankogel peak in the Stubai Alps when he fell into a crevasse on the Sulztalferner Glacier. To escape, he discarded his heavy backpack, which plummeted into the ice below. He survived the ordeal, but his gear remained lost—until July 16, 2026.
On that day, mountain guide Marco Stern discovered the weathered backpack at an elevation of approximately 2,955 meters on the Sulztalferner Glacier. Inside, he found an ice axe, a camera, a whistle, and a damaged folder containing documents from the 1950s and 1960s. A faintly written name on the papers led investigators to Rothfischer, now 86, who confirmed the items were his. (outsideonline.com)
Rothfischer recounted that, during the 1963 expedition, he and two companions were crossing the glacier when he slipped into the crevasse. He was suspended about 24 feet above the ice, and his friends helped him out. To lighten his load and aid his escape, he threw his backpack into the crevasse. He survived with minimal injuries and reported the missing backpack to local police. (outsideonline.com)
The recovered items were returned to Rothfischer’s son on August 25, 2026. This discovery highlights the significant retreat of glaciers due to climate change. The Sulztalferner Glacier has lost about 20 meters between 2024 and 2025 and has retreated nearly 1,500 meters since 1923. A 2025 study found that glaciers in central Europe, including the Alps, lost about 39% of their ice between 2000 and 2023. (outsideonline.com)
This incident is part of a broader trend of melting glaciers revealing historical artifacts. In July 2026, human remains uncovered on Switzerland’s Trift Glacier were identified as two Belgian alpinists who disappeared in 1992. In October 2025, hikers found a body that had melted out of a glacier on Ober Gabelhorn, Switzerland; authorities later determined it belonged to a climber who went missing in November 1994. In July 2023, hikers came across the body of a climber uncovered in melting ice near the Matterhorn, also in Switzerland. (outsideonline.com)
These findings underscore the profound impact of climate change on glaciers and the historical artifacts they preserve.