Mountain Wilderness
In defence of mountains, the world over
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Presidency Team

MemberCountryPhoto
Gabriella Suzanne VANZAN - President Italy
Jordi QUERA - Vice PresidentCatalonia
Sabine RENTSCHLER - Vice PresidentGermany
Hugues THIEBAULT - Vice PresidentFrance
Gloria SOLINI - Secretary General Italy
Susanna GONELLA - Treasurer Italy

Want to see mountain nature better protected? Join us!

“Mountain wilderness” refers to any pristine, untouched mountain environment, where anyone can experience vast open spaces, silence, solitude, nature. “The value of wilderness therefore lies above all in its potential to stimulate a creative relationship between civilised man and the natural environment. It is the degree of authenticity of this relationship that gives a non-ephemeral meaning to adventure.”

This definition dates back to 1987, when the Biella theses, our manifesto, were written. They marked the birth of Mountain Wilderness.

Mountain Wilderness International (MWI) is the umbrella organisation of the national chapters of Mountain Wilderness. It facilitates communication and exchange among national chapters, coordinates and organises international projects and actions and officially represents the organisation in its relations with governments, authorities, international institutions and non-governmental organisations.

If you share our ideas and you wish to help us, please join a national chapter. Mountain Wilderness has chapters in a dozen countries.

Glacier of the Month

Events Calendar

Mountain Wilderness International

6 days ago

Mountain Wilderness International
"The Alps are among the glacier regions most affected by human-induced climate change. The decline of these famous mountains has accelerated dramatically in recent years: They have lost a third of their ice volume in just 20 years. On average, the glaciers have retreated by an 30 meters a year over this period, thinning by one to 1.5 meters across their entire surface every year." ... See MoreSee Less

Glacier decline is speeding up in the Alps

www.lemonde.fr

The mountains are facing a series of hazards, including receding glaciers, lake formation and rockfalls, that have significantly worsened in recent years.
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Mountain Wilderness International

1 week ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Photos from Mountain Wilderness Catalunya's post ... See MoreSee Less
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Mountain Wilderness International

2 weeks ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Carbon Glacier has thinned and retreated since 1970, although it has the largest volume of any glacier on the mountain, due to its unusual thickness. It has shaped the landscape of Mount Rainier and the history of Mount Rainier National Park #glacier #mountrainier #carbonglacier #shrinkingglaciers #MountainsMatter Check out our new blog post! ⬇️www.mountainwilderness.org/2024/08/27/august-mount-rainier-glaciers/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Mountain Wilderness International

2 weeks ago

Mountain Wilderness International
From pole to pole and everywhere in between, Earth's ice is disappearing.Arctic ice caps and glaciers: 2023 was the second-most negative year on record for cumulative ice loss.Mountain Glaciers: In 2023, all 35 reporting reference glaciers had a negative balance, along with all 18 benchmark glaciers. This is the first year that all reference glaciers have had a negative balance.Antarctica: Eight months saw new monthly mean record lows in sea ice extent and sea ice area, and 278 days in 2023 set new daily record-low sea ice extents. More highlights: climate.gov/sotc2023 ... See MoreSee Less

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Mountain Wilderness International

3 weeks ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Researchers funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) studied exposed bedrock at the edges of glaciers in the tropical Andes Mountains of South America. The results show that the glaciers are smaller now than they have been in at least 11,700 years. ... See MoreSee Less

Tropical glaciers now smallest in 11,700 years, scientists find

new.nsf.gov

Tropical glaciers, which are especially at risk from climate warming, have melted rapidly in recent decades. The question, scientists say, is how much...
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mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
20h

There is growing concern about the impact of global warming on the stability of icy peaks in mountain ranges around the world. Thawing frozen #mountains lead to breakage of small to large sections, resulting in rock falls, rock avalanches and #landslides

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mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
3 Sep

The Alps are among the glacier regions most affected by human-induced #climatechange. They have lost 1/3 of their ice volume in just 20 years. On average #glaciers have retreated 30m/year over this period, thinning 1-1.5m/year across their entire surface

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copernicuseu Copernicus EU @copernicuseu ·
2 Sep

This image, taken on 28 August 2024, documents the effects of the heatwave, revealing large areas of glaciers around Longyearbyen (Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean) without snow cover. The absence of snow accelerates the rapid melting of the ice.

https://www.copernicus.eu/en/media/image-day-gallery/record-breaking-temperatures-observed-svalbard

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mwildernesscat Mountain Wilderness Catalunya @mwildernesscat ·
29 Aug

🔜ANUNCI D'ACCIÓ‼️

🟢Els dies 7 i 8 de setembre serem a l'Alta #Cerdanya amb els company@s de la Catalunya Nord de Mountain Wilderness France🏔🌿
@MWildernessInt
@MWildernessCat
@MWFrance
#salvemlesmuntanyes
#Pirineu #Peric #Carlit

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mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
28 Aug

#CarbonGlacier has thinned & retreated since 1970, although it has the largest volume of any glacier on the mountain, due to its unusual thickness. It has shaped the landscape of #MountRainier & the history of Mount Rainier National Park #shrinkingglaciers

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Carbon Glacier has thinned and retreated since 197 Carbon Glacier has thinned and retreated since 1970, although it has the largest volume of any glacier on the mountain, due to its unusual thickness. It has shaped the landscape of Mount Rainier and the history of Mount Rainier National Park #glacier #MountRainier #CarbonGlacier #shrinkingglaciers #glacierofthemonth #mountainsmatter #climatecrisis #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace Check out our new blog post, link in bio!
Today is #EarthOvershootDay. It marks the date w Today is #EarthOvershootDay. It marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. Now until the end of this year the whole world will operate on deficit. We need to reduce our #EcologicalFootprint! #MountainsMatter #mountainlovers #mountainwilderness #climatecrisis #leavenotrace #cleanclimbing
Chimborazo is an inactive volcano located in the w Chimborazo is an inactive volcano located in the western cordillera of the Andes and is the highest mountain in Ecuador. Chimborazo glacier is a temperate one, i.e. it is at the pressure melting point, thus being a fast indicator of climate change. Local mountain guides report that 10-12 years ago, along the normal route, it extended up to 150m further down. Check out our glacier of the month! Link in bio #mountainwilderness #shrinkingglaciers #mountainsmatter #Chimborazo #Ecuador #Andes #mountainlovers #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #climatecrisis
'Shrinking glaciers and Mountain Wilderness'. A b 'Shrinking glaciers and Mountain Wilderness'. A blog post written by our long-time International Guarantor @goedeke.richard Link in bio #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #glaciers #shrinkingglaciers #mountains #melting #globalwarming #climatechange #nature #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace
The Humboldt Glacier (Pico Humboldt, 4,942 m asl) The Humboldt Glacier (Pico Humboldt, 4,942 m asl) in the Sierra Nevada National Park was the last of Venezuela’s glaciers. It was downgraded to ice field, as it melted much faster than expected, shrinking to an area of less than 2 ha. This means Venezuela has likely become the first country in modern history to lose all its glaciers. #shrinkingglaciers #MountainsMatter #glacierofthemonth #mountainwilderness #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #climatecrisis Link in bio 📷 credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
📯 Let us introduce our new Presidency Team for 📯 Let us introduce our new Presidency Team for the term 2024-2026! (from upper left corner to lower right one) Gabriella Suzanne Vanzan, President Jordi Quera, Vice President Hugues Thièbault, Vice President Sabine Rentschler, Vice President Susanna Gonella, Treasurer Gloria Solini, Secretary General Thank you so much to our outgoing members Gotlind Blechschmidt and Karin Lankes! #mountainwilderness #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #glaciers #shrinkingglaciers
The Weißkugel/Palla Bianca, 3,738 m asl, is locat The Weißkugel/Palla Bianca, 3,738 m asl, is located at the border between South Tyrol and North Tyrol and therefore between Italy and Austria. It is the third highest mountain in Austria after Großglockner and Wildspitze and the second highest in the Ötztal Alps/Alpi Venoste. In 2022, the Hintereisferner glacier lost 5% of its volume – in just one year. This corresponds to almost 20 million m3 of water, about as much as the city of Innsbruck consumes in drinking water in 20 months. In previous years, the average volume loss was 1-2% per year. 📷 courtesy of Gotlind Blechschmidt (2011) and Tobias Miller (2022) Link in bio #ShrinkingGlaciers #Weißkugel #PallaBianca #Austria #ÖtztalAlps #AlpiVenoste #Hintereisferner
Here's a brief video overview of our all-women cou Here's a brief video overview of our all-women course "Girls in Action" held in Swat, Pakistan. Courtesy of @fazal_khaliq 🙏 #SwatProject #girlsinaction #mountainwilderness #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #womenpower #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace
April 27 marked the end of our ‘Girls in Action! April 27 marked the end of our ‘Girls in Action!’ course, organised in collaboration with the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies #ISMEO and the Italian Academic Alpine Club #CAAI. Its success exceeded all our expectations! Thank you to our wonderful all-women team: Francesca Colesanti, Chiara Delpino, Susanna Gonella, Elisa Peyrot, Patrizia Romagnolo, Concep Mirò and Ayesha Hinna; and to Carlo Alberto Pinelli, Head of Mountain Wilderness’ Asian Desk. Thank you to @unmountainsmatter (FAO) and @banca_sella for their support, to @scarpa_world for their contribution in the form of mountain and climbing footwear and to @ferrino_official for its mountain equipment. Link to our blog post in bio #SwatProject #GirlsInAction #Pakistan #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #womenpower #environmentfriendly #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #arts
Due to the snow leopard’s reclusive nature, it i Due to the snow leopard’s reclusive nature, it is not known how many remain. But there are not enough, and populations are dwindling. Mountain ecosystems are under pressure from the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste. Habitats are shrinking. Climate change is reducing prey populations. Poaching and human-wildlife conflict have taken a toll. Read our full blog post in bio. #CMS #COP14 #snowleopard #biodiversity #vanishingtreasures #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #leavenotrace
A visual update from Swat 💚 #SwatProject #girl A visual update from Swat 💚 #SwatProject #girlsinaction #Pakistan #womenpower #girlpower #MountainsMatter #mountainlovers #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace
Our all-women mountain course 'Girls in Action' wi Our all-women mountain course 'Girls in Action' within the framework of our Swat Project kicked off yesterday! 💪💪💪 #SwatProject #Swat #Pakistan #MountainsMatter #mountainlovers #womenpower
The #Adamello Glacier, located on the border of th The #Adamello Glacier, located on the border of the regions Lombardy and Trentino, is the biggest of its kind in the Italian #Alps. Scientists say in less than a century it will be gone. Link in bio 📷 courtesy of @onthetrailoftheglaciers 🙏 #shrinkingglaciers #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #mountainwilderness #climatechange #Adamello #Alps
On December 20, 2023, the European Commission tabl On December 20, 2023, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a Council Decision aimed at downgrading the wolf’s status. This large carnivore is currently classified as a “strictly protected species” under the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. Coexistence between humans and large carnivores is not only desirable but also possible. Mountain Wilderness strongly opposes these developments and calls on the Member States of the European Union to refuse to turn wolves into a target for Sunday hunters. Link in bio #wildlife #mountainwilderness #largecarnivores #wolf #mountains #mountainlovers #mountainsmatter #BerneConvention #HabitatsDirective
Meet the all-women team 🧗‍♂️ that will tr Meet the all-women team 🧗‍♂️ that will train Pakistani women in the women-only basic mountain course organised by Mountain Wilderness’ Asian Desk, CAAI (Italian Academic Alpine Club) and ISMEO (International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies) in Swat. Patrizia Romagnolo - CAI (Italian Alpine Club) national mountaineering instructor Elisa Peyrot - CAI national mountaineering instructor and mountain rescue doctor 🩺 Chiara Delpino - CAI mountaineering instructor and archaeologist Concep Mirò - environmentalism and trekking expert Francesca Colesanti - national mountaineering instructor and journalist 🗞 Susanna Gonella - trekking expert, representing the board of Mountain Wilderness International, and Ayesha Hinna - Gandhara Buddhist art expert. And, last but not least, Chiara Chiella will shoot a documentary. 🎥 The team is bound to leave for Pakistan on April 15 and will be back on April 28. 💪 The training enjoys the support of: Banca Sella and @unmountainsmatter (FAO), and the contribution in the form of mountain and climbing footwear by SCARPA as well as mountain equipment by Ferrino, both Italian manufacturers. 🙏 If you wish to support this initiative financially, please get in touch with us either via DM or via our contact form on our website! #mountainwilderness #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #Swat #SwatProject #girlsinaction #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #mountaineering #allwomen
The Rhône Glacier, which extends from 2197 to 360 The Rhône Glacier, which extends from 2197 to 3600 m a.s.l., is located in the Valais, a canton in southern Switzerland, near the Italian border. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the glacier was a major tourist attraction due to its tongue, which back then reached far down into the valley at Gletsch. The glacier is rapidly shrinking and is now only the fifth largest glacier in Switzerland. The melting of the glacier ice and the change in runoff regimes are causing serious geo-hydrological problems. We owe these wonderful images to Hugues Thiebault, member of Mountain Wilderness France, and to his great-grandfather Emmanuel Bigeard, moved by a passion for the mountains that has been passed down through the centuries. Link in bio #shrinkingglaciers #mountainwilderness #mountains #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #Alps #climatechange #globalwarming #leavenotrace #cleanclimbing
Some insights into our weekend in Bern. It is am Some insights into our weekend in Bern. It is amazing how much more productive and effective it is to meet in person! Not only did we address all the items on the agenda, we also managed to enjoy a delicious fondue and hike to Bern's mountain, the Gurten! Mountain Wilderness Schweiz 🙏 #MountainsMatter #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #Switzerland #Alps #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace
And here we are in Bern to share thoughts, exchang And here we are in Bern to share thoughts, exchange ideas and make plans for the future of Mountain Wilderness! Thank you to our host Mountain Wilderness Schweiz! #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace
Despite the track in Innsbruck and despite the fir Despite the track in Innsbruck and despite the firm opposition of the International Olympic Committee, 500 old larches were cut last week in Cortina to make way for a 120 million euro worth of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track that may either prove useless well before the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, or certainly become so after 2026. Full article in bio #OlympicGames #milanocortina2026 #Olympics2026 #Olympics #WinterOlympics #IOC #mountainsmatter #CONI #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #leavenotrace #sustainability #legacy #zerocost
As part of our project on shrinking glaciers, we w As part of our project on shrinking glaciers, we will regularly publish posts dedicated to glaciers and the changes they have undergone over time. Our first glacier is the Aneto Glacier in the Pyrenees, Spain. The Aneto glacier is shrinking rapidly: it covered 1.067 km2 in 1981 and <0.5 km2 in 2022. It is estimated that it has lost more than half its surface area and that it may disappear around 2050. 📷 Courtesy of Jordi Camins Link in bio #mountains #mountainsmatter #shrinkingglaciers #mountainlovers #climatechange #globalwarming #tippingpoint
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