FÅRTEX® BECOMES A GLACIER FELT
Did you know that your vest also keeps you cool when it's hot? That is what the Glacier Felt project is about, to save some parts of Glaciers from melting when it’s too warm.
The same Fårtex® insulation that you have in your vest is used to protect Swedish glaciers from melting. The Glacier felt is made from 8 layers of Fårtex®. The wool's temperature-regulating properties protect against the strong sun and keep the cold in the glacier. Multiple meters of glacier is saved this way.
The Glacier felt project is managed by two adventurer Oskar Kihlborg & Cassiani Fotinos. In 1990, Oskar, together with Mikael Reuterswärd, became the first Swedes to reach the top of Mount Everest.
We are now a team working on the project, where Wool rebel is responsible for the manufacture of the blanket.
En Glaciärfilts dagbok
The first time the Glacier Felt made by FÅRTEX® was rolled out on Swedish glaciers was in 2023. The project was very successful and continues this year as well.
2024 APRIL
NEW EFFORTS
This year, the Glaciärfilten will only be on Björlingsglaciär. It takes a lot of logistics and strength to get the rollers up to the glacier. Of course in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
About 10 rolls of wool are pulled up the mountain on skis. It's too steep to do it any other way. In some places so steep that the wool rolls need to be winched up.
The woolen blankets are rolled out, sewn together and finally secured with sacks filled with stones.
2023 APRIL
PREMIERE
The glacier blanket made by FÅRTEX® was pulled up for Kebnekaise for the first time. The ascent started well with lovely sun.
Some of the team were happy even though the weather started to change. Weather in the mountains can change very quickly. And it did this time.
After two days on skis and one night in a tent, the weather got worse and worse. It blew up into a strong storm and it became too dangerous to go any further. Almost at the glacier we had to stop and go back. We left the rolls of wool firmly attached to a rock.
JUNE 2023
SUCCESS
Finally the weather improved and the team could make another attempt. This time the rollout succeeds. By the end of the summer, 1.5 m x 200 m of blue ice had been saved on Kebnekaise.
In June at Kebnekaise.
The blankets are sewn together by hand on site on the mountain. An incredibly time-consuming craft.
The blankets are attached with large stones and weights so as not to blow away on the mountain.
Food can't taste better than outside in nature. Paul Svensson cooks "Kolbulle" with sour cream and crowberries. Luxury!
MISSION COMPLETED
September
We saved 5.5 meters high glacier from melting! We are so happy that our wool has done such a good job, but at the same time so sad to see how quickly the glaciers are melting.
Part of the team on their way up Helga's glacier to see the results and fold up all the blankets for the winter.
Oskar measures the height of the glacier sculpture, 5.5 meters high!
Helena folds the wool blankets and we put them in safe storage over the winter.
Oskar measures out coordinates so that we know where the blankets are when the snow covers them and they are to be brought home on skis.
This felt cannot save all the world's glaciers but it is a way to make people understand how fast they are disappearing due to global warming. It’s small steps to hopefully something bigger.
