Glacières; or, Freezing Caverns

by Edwin Swift Balch

Windholes on the Spitzfluh. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 92.)—These are situated between Oltingen and Zeylingen, Canton Bâle: they generally contain ice till the end of July.

Windholes on the Blummatt. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 93.)—On the northwestern slope of the Stanzerberg. Ice sometimes lies over in these windholes.

Windholes near Bozen. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 97.)—On the Mendel ranges in Eppan, southwest of Bozen, among porphyry rocks. There are strong wind-streams. Ice is said to remain till late in the summer.

Grotto on Monte Tofana, Dolomites. (T. G. Bonney, Nature, vol. XI., page 328.)—This is probably a rudimentary glacière.

Holes with Ice near Lienz. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 97.)—One hour and a half distant near Aineth, is a small cave containing ice, and further up the valley towards Huben, are several windholes.

Eishöhle am Birnhorn. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 131.)—Near Leogang in the Pinzgau. Altitude 2150 meters. There are two entrances, from which a slope 10 meters long, set at an angle of 25°, leads to an ice floor 12 meters long and 3 meters high. Then comes a small ice slope, and a little horizontal floor at the back. Explored by Fugger.

Glacières on the Eiskogel. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 19.)—The Eiskogel is in the Tennengebirge, a mountain mass lying east of Pass Lueg. At an altitude of about 1900 meters, are two small caves, about 30 meters to 40 meters apart. They are some 25 meters in length and get smaller towards the bottom.

Holes with Ice in the Tennengebirge, between the Schallwand and the Tauernkogel. (Fugger, Eishöhlen, page 20.)—In this gorge are some small holes at an altitude of about 2000 meters, which are said to contain ice in summer.

The Seeofen. (A. Posselt-Csorich, Zeitschrift des Deutschen und Oesterreichischen Alpen Verein, 1880, page 270.) On the Hean Krail in the Tennengebirge, at an altitude of about 1900 meters. The entrance faces southwest, and is 6 meters high and 4.5 meters wide. The cave is 25 meters long, and 8 meters wide. The floor of the cave is 13 meters below the entrance.