Mountaineer reunited with backpack lost in Alpine glacier 63 years ago

An 86-year-old Austrian mountaineer has been reunited with a backpack and climbing equipment that remained trapped in an Alpine glacier for more than six decades, Austrian broadcaster ORF Tirol reported, citing Tyrol police.

A mountain guide discovered the backpack on July 16 at an altitude of 2,955 metres on the Sultzalfener Glacier after it emerged from the melting ice. Inside were an ice axe, a camera, a pipe and a badly damaged document folder. The equipment was believed to date from the 1950s or 1960s.

Police found the owner’s name among the documents and managed to track him down. They established that he had lost the equipment in August 1963 while crossing the glacier during a climb.

The mountaineer had fallen into a crevasse while roped together with several companions. Although he was pulled back to the surface, the backpack had to be abandoned to reduce his weight.

More than 63 years later, police returned the recovered belongings to his family. The 86-year-old was unable to travel to Tyrol because of his health, so his son collected the backpack on his behalf.

By Tamilla Hasanova