Page 52 - DIVA 2 2025 web

Diavolezza hotel
above the glaciers
Mortreratsch
(altitude 2973)

Morteratsch

exploring the innovations for glacier preservation

By Evelina Rioukhina

Over the past few years we have visited almost First of all, you need to know the legend of the
all the accessible Swiss glaciers - Aletsch, Moiry, Morteratsch name, which has been passed down
Zinal, Plaine Morte, du Rhône, Steingletscher, through generations.
and many more. With guides, we managed
to enter the glaciers’ hearts - their blue caves, Many years ago, high in the mountains, there
under-ice lakes and ice sculptures, and have lived a beautiful mountain goddess, or to be
written about some of these in our articles. more precise, a Diavolezza: she-devil. She was
e speech of the SG at the WEF last year, as well so beautiful that hunters fell madly in love with
as our studies on international cooperation for her and followed her through the blue lake where
glacier preservation, encouraged us to make a she usually bathed, and the pastures that only the
study tour in the canton where the WEF is taking chamois could reach, and from which the eagles
place – Graubünden (Grisons), to its famous took ight. Bewildered by her beauty, the hunters
Morteratsch Glacier. Of course, we passed would become more and more careless as they
through most of the glaciers in this area on the traversed the rocky and crevassed terrain of Mount
Glacier or Bernina Express, but the purpose of Pers. One by one they disappeared, probably
this several-day tour was to study the geology falling to their death. Aratsch, a handsome youth,
of this particular glacier in-depth, especially the disappeared like this one day not returning from
innovative projects for its preservation. hunting, and the villagers searched for him in vain.
However, a er his death the Diavolezza was never
It was an incredible experience to stay overnight seen again in the area, and on some nights anyone
above the glacier, at an altitude of 3000m, next to close to the Bernina massif could hear her wailing
the meeting of the two huge Diavolezza glaciers: voice, borne on the dri ing wind, crying, “Mort
the Piu Glacier and our Morteratsch Glacier. We ais Aratsch (Aratsch is dead)”. is is how the
saw beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and it felt mountain and glacier got the name Morteratsch.
like we could sense the pulse of the glaciers. e
more sure-footed of us could hike down to the innovation projects in the
Morteratsch Glacier and cross it at the relatively Morteratsch/Diavolezza
safe narrow point. is narrow point was to be e MortAlive Project aims to nd innovative
of major interest later as the most realistic part solutions for covering glaciers with snow to
to preserve. protect them from melting, which would also

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