06/10/2026
How good is this? I was only at Glacier 3000 a few weeks ago and I chose not to walk on the glacier due to the melts they have been experiencing. Wool really does have so many benefits 💕
Sheep wool on a glacier? Here’s why Switzerland is testing it. 🐑🧊🇨🇭
Swiss glaciers are changing fast. Since 2000, they have lost almost 40% of their volume. This rapid retreat affects Alpine landscapes, water resources, mountain infrastructure and tourism.
At Glacier 3000, in the Swiss Alps, researchers from the Université de Lausanne and Summit Foundation are testing Swiss sheep wool through the Keep It Wool project to help slow local glacier melt.
In June 2026, two wool covers were installed on the ice. Each prototype measures 10 × 10 meters. A synthetic geotextile cover of the same size was placed nearby to compare the results.
The goal is to explore whether wool could offer a more natural alternative to synthetic glacier covers. Wool is natural, local, renewable, biodegradable and insulating. It is also a resource that is often underused in Switzerland, where up to 70% of Swiss wool is estimated to be destroyed.
The first observations are promising, but this is not a miracle solution. Covers can help protect small areas, but they cannot stop the retreat of entire glaciers.
To limit glacier loss in the long term, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains essential.
Do you think this is a smart use of Swiss wool, or should glacier protection rely on other solutions? 👇
