Glacier returns climber's lost gear after 63 years

A melting glacier in Austria's Tyrol region has returned a climber's lost belongings more than six decades after they disappeared. The Sulztalferner glacier yielded a backpack and climbing gear, including an ice axe, camera, and pipe, believed to date from the 1950s or 1960s.

A hiker discovered the items on July 16 at an altitude of approximately 2,955 meters and handed them over to mountain police in Neustift. Initially, the age of the equipment suggested it might be from an old mountain accident. Police began searching for the owner.

Inside a heavily weathered document folder, they found a barely legible name. Further checks led them to an 86-year-old man, who immediately recognized the equipment. The discovery finally explained how the backpack ended up deep in a glacial crevasse 63 years ago.

The story dates back to August 4, 1963. The then 23-year-old climber was crossing the Sulztalferner area with two friends. The group was roped together, and his friends held him when he slipped into an approximately eight-meter-deep crevasse. He managed to free himself using prusik loops but realized his backpack's weight was pulling him down. He removed it and lowered it into the crevasse, a decision that likely saved his life. He escaped the ice trap with minor injuries. He had reported the backpack lost to the police at the time, as it contained necessary documents for his return home. The items remained lost until this summer.

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The discovery finally explained how the backpack ended up deep in a glacial crevasse 63 years ago.