Schlatenkees glacier, Alpine glacier in Matrei in Osttirol and Prägraten am Großvenediger, Austria.
Schlatenkees is a large glacier in the Venediger mountain group in East Tyrol, covering several square kilometers and ranking as the region's biggest valley glacier. The ice field is surrounded by steep rock faces and can be reached via a marked trail from the Matreier Tauernhaus.
The glacier reached its greatest extent around 1850, when its tongue extended far down into the Gschlöss valley. Since then it has continuously retreated, reflecting the shifting climate in the Alps.
The glacier sits within the National Park Hohe Tauern and holds significance as a symbol of the alpine environment that defines this region. Visitors walking near it gain firsthand experience of how climate change shapes the mountains around them.
The hike to the glacier surface is a half-day mountain walk from the valley that requires sturdy hiking boots and reasonable fitness. Starting early in the morning gives you better conditions and more time to explore before afternoon weather changes.
Between 2014 and 2017, the glacier's front edge pulled back by 180 meters, causing a striking ice gate that visitors had known for decades to vanish. This rapid shift makes the site one of the clearest places to see how the Alps are changing.
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