From Edelweiß
To Eternal Ice

In a previous article we visited the Austrian Alps to learn about yodeling as an art form. Now on our return we go much higher up, where we first find the famous Edelweiß flower, depicted above on the backside of the Austrian one-schilling coin. Then we'll continue our ascent towards the top of the imposing Austrian glaciers, at an elevation of over 10,000 feet.

The Edelweiß (Leontopodium alpinum) is a short-lived perennial that needs a gritty well-drained soil. It has long been popular as a token of love. A suitor's prowess was proven by retrieving the Edelweiß flower from those difficult-to-reach crags and ledges at high altitudes. This challenge was always hard to resist, especially for young men in the latter half of the 19th century. During the quest to gain a lover's favour or often just to earn some cash selling the aptly named "Cloud Flowers" many pickers fell to their deaths; as many as 50 in just one season. The tragedies and dangers involved led to an increasingly romantic popularity of the small plant and as a result the little alpine flower was featured centre stage in folklore through verse, song and story.

For the Americans I would like to clear up that the famous song "Edelweiß" from The Sound of Music is NOT an Austrian folksong, but a pitiful, shmaltzy, and touristy imitation-tearjerker. That said, I have to admit that I took on the challenge to perform it myself once in a successful attempt to dignify the song slightly through a straightforward, honest interpretation :o) But as background music I chose a majestic Beethoven piece I sang in a big church. Which is the same attribute the Austrian glaciers deserve.

Besides many other nicknames, the Edelweiß was also called "Flower of Emperors and Kings." Austrian and German emperors adored the little flower. At the international conference of Alpine Clubs in Obwalden, Switzerland (1878), in conjunction with the governments of Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, the Edelweiß was declared protected in a large part of the European Alps.

The alpine tourist trade, from a hundred years ago to the present, demands "Blossoms of Snow" and is supplied largely by small specialty growers, the only grower in North America being Canadian Edelweiß Growers of Golden, British Columbia, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

A breathtaking Austrian glacier hike (notice the tracks)

The glaciers - eternal ice: you can reach the top of one of the many Austrian glaciers several different ways. By hiking and admiring the before-mentioned Edelweiß flower (and remember: don't pick any), partially by driving the toll roads, or by taking a gondola. Once you're up there, at the least you'll enjoy a breathtaking view. Since Austria is literally in the heart of Europe, you'll be able to see far into neighboring countries, mainly Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, who share the Alps with Austria. Make sure you take your binoculars: you'll be able to see daring mountain climbers in the distance who climb 90 degree or steeper walls of ice. You can walk around in the big snow fields or take a guide and go on a longer hike. I enjoy especially going up there in the middle of summer to go downhill skiing. The snow never melts above 10,000 feet! It does have a funny, soft feel on a sunny day and its color is more yellow than white. But it's quite a different experience. Go for it!

Glacier features: I'm not going to bore you with indepth glacier research. But you might wonder about some of the glacier specific phenomena you'll encounter.

Glacier crevasses are visible proof of glacier movement. They are formed as a result of differing tensions in the glacier. Crevasses which divide a glacier horizontally are called transverse crevasses because they lie across the flow direction of the glacier. They form when the glacier flows over a hindrance and differing speeds occur within the glacier (see picture). Vertical cracks form when the ice flows with increasing speed from the perimeter to the center. Glacier crevasses are the mountain climber’s greatest danger in glacier regions. They are often up to 70 feet deep.

Glacier streams are glacial meltwater outlets. They often occur through ice mouths (ice caves) at the end of a glacier tongue. The water course is dependent on seasonal temperature fluctuations. The greatest volumes of water (around 70% of the annual total) flow in the months of June, July and August. The water in a glacier stream is known locally as "glacier milk" - due to the water’s milky, cloudy color, which comes from the very fine debris material carried by the current. This material is also known as "glacial flour."

On your way down from the glacier you might encounter Ice Ages, which are massive forward glacier thrusts deep within the foothills of the Alps. There have been several extended ice ages, the last one being called "The Würm." Most glacier-related geographic formations are from the Würm Ice Age because the earlier relics were mostly overridden. This last great Ice Age began around 22,000 years ago, peaked 17,000 years ago and ended around 12,000 years ago. The snow line during this period sank by more than 3,000 feet and the summer temperatures were an average of 20 degrees Fahrenheit lower than today.

The enormous pressure with which the ice sheets moved over the ground and rock had a filing or sandpapering effect and formed unmistakable landscape elements. And the large lakes in the foothills of the Alps are relics of the ice age glacier tongues.