DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
Swiss mountain pass resurfaces after 2.000 years under glacier
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Swiss mountain pass resurfaces after 2.000 years under glacier

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

What is blue-green algae and should swimmers in Switzerland be worried?What is blue-green algae and should swimmers in Switzerland be worried?
Swiss lakes achieve tropical temperatures as hot weather continuesSwiss lakes achieve tropical temperatures as hot weather continues
Guide to the national referendums in Switzerland for September 2024Guide to the national referendums in Switzerland for September 2024
Water level on Lake Constance falls to 53-year lowWater level on Lake Constance falls to 53-year low
April 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know aboutApril 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know about
100 tons of plastic dumped in Lake Geneva every year, new study finds100 tons of plastic dumped in Lake Geneva every year, new study finds
Lake Constance will eventually disappear, experts predictLake Constance will eventually disappear, experts predict
Melting Swiss glaciers lose volume equivalent to Lake Biel in 2024Melting Swiss glaciers lose volume equivalent to Lake Biel in 2024
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Aug 15, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

After more than 2.000 years under the ice, an ancient pass through the Swiss mountains has recently reappeared. Once under metres of glacial ice, the recent heatwaves and dry weather in Switzerland have allowed the Col de Zanfleuron to reveal itself as part of the melting Scex Rouge glacier.

Col de Zanfleuron in Switzerland revealed after 2.000 years under the ice

According to the University of Bern, the Col de Zanfleuron - a pass between Canton Vaud and Valais on the Scex Rouge glacier - had been covered by ice for at least 2.000 years. Despite still being under 15 metres of ice in 2012, experts say the pass will become fully visible by the end of September this year.

Mauro Fischer, from the Geographical Institute in Bern, told 20 minuten that a combination of climate change, dry winters and continually hot summers have accelerated glacial melting in Switzerland, which helps reveal new mountain passes. He forecast that in areas of Valais, glaciers will melt three times faster this year than in the last 10 summers.

New mountain passes causing a headache for Swiss ski resorts

The decline of the glacier and the emergence of the pass are also causing a headache for the local ski resort. Les Diablerets is already “planning to renew the systems in this area over the next few years" to cope with the changing landscape, according to cable car director Bernhard Tschannen. If nothing is done, the Scex Rouge glacier is expected to melt entirely and become a lake in the next 10 to 15 years.

According to 20 minuten, the operations of the ski resort are not to blame for the glacier melt - with ski operations actually projected to slow the melt of the glacier. To prevent the Scex Rouge from being lost to the history books, the resort is now planning to build a huge tarpaulin that would cover the glacier during the spring and summer months.

By Jan de Boer