Hikers are no longer allowed to set foot on the Patagonian glacier due to the melting of the ice.
Consequently, the glacier has now become unstable and could lead to devastating consequences for hikers.
This decision was taken by the National Forestry Corporation of Chile but has not been well-received by local guides and adventure travelers alike.
The officials cited safety concerns due to the destabilizing melting of the glacier, pointing toward the rapidly changing climate.
The Exploradores, or Explorers glacier, which sits in the Laguna San Rafael National Park, is a beloved hiking spot for adventure travelers.
It had been a well-trodden ice destination for hikers everywhere, who flocked to the southern region of Aysen, especially for this experience.
However, in the last two years, a study conducted by government hydrologists revealed that the glacier is dangerously close to an unstable inflection point.
Climate change
As of now, ice climbers across the globe are being forced to get used to the consequences of warmer temperatures on common routes.
In July 2022, a large chunk of the Marmolada glacier collapsed on a frequently visited hiking route, which led to the death of 11 people.
The glacier was a popular one and was located in the Dolomite Mountain of Italy.
Around the same time, a couple of agencies decided to cancel the ascents of Mont Blanc for the first time in history as melting ice caused a number of rockfalls.
As a result, various guides who had been leading expeditions and running tourism companies were forced to refund agencies.
Currently, it has been revealed that the national park will remain operational and open to tourists, who can view the glacier by boat.
Exploradores
On the 6th of October, the Exploradores banned hikers soon after a large chunk of ice fell off the main glacier.
No hikers sustained any injuries, with local guides citing that things like these tend to happen due to the changing glacial landscape.
However, as per the study conducted by the government, there has been substantial fragmentation in the glacier.
It was also revealed that the glacier has thinned by no less than 0.5 meters annually, and the number of meltwater lagoons atop the Exploradores has also doubled.
As the overall surface contact of the glacier with water surges, it tends to melt at a quicker pace than usual.
Melting
Despite the fact that no news report cited climate change in the closure of the Exploradores, experts believe that the glacier was relatively unchanged for nearly a century.
In their opinion, the thinning of the ice has occurred in the last couple of decades, which indicates the increasing impact of climate change.
They further explained that glaciers across the globe have been following a similar pattern, which can be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions driving warmer ocean temperatures.
In this year, one study conducted stated that by the end of the century, two-thirds of the glaciers in the world would have melted out of existence.
