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24,000 Years Into the Past
Back when Graubünden was covered in ice.

Start of the Time Travel
The area around the Segneshut (Segneshütte).
Today, glaciers cover around two percent of Graubünden’s surface area.

Destination of the Time Travel
The Segneshut area during the peak of the last Ice Age, approximately 24,000 years ago.
Glaciers covered almost the entire current territory of the canton, with the exception of steep rock faces and mountain peaks, which rose like islands from the ice sea.

Left Image: Today’s view from an airplane of the Segneshut area and the Tschingelhörner.
Right Image: The same view approximately 24,000 years ago, with the Rhine Valley Glacier dominating the foreground.

Expedition and Adventure
Together with experienced Antarctic researchers, we explore the glaciated Graubünden. Using controlled explosions in the glacier ice, we generate artificial earthquakes. The seismic waves spread through the glacier, with some reflecting off the rocky bed beneath.

We record these waves using seismographs, enabling us to determine the glacier’s depth at the explosion site.

Climate
In the target area of our time travel:

• Summer: About 8–10°C (50°F) colder than today.
• Winter: About 15°C (60°F) colder.
• Average annual temperature: Approximately -12°C (10°F).

The climate was not only much colder but also more “dry-continental” than it is today.

Would You Like a Souvenir From This Time Travel?
How about a piece of ice from the Segnes Glacier (approximately five kilometers [3 miles] from here)?