BASELINE
GLACIER
CHALLENGE
ABOUT
Establishing the biodiversity baseline at summits across 6 continents.
Six continents.
Six glaciers.
One challenge.
To reach some of the most remote ice on Earth and collect its genetic signature before it disappears.
Glaciers are disappearing at an unprecedented rate, taking with them entire ecosystems that have never been recorded. This coordinated series of high-altitude expeditions is establishing the first complete eDNA baseline of glacier biodiversity across 6 continents, creating a baseline of their unique biodiversity before it vanishes.
This priceless genetic record will serve as a reference for scientists, conservationists, and educators—a snapshot of life at the top of the world, captured in a moment when the ice is melting faster than at any point in human history.
THE TEAM
Expedition Leader
Mountaineer, author, and lecturer. The first Swiss woman to have climbed all 14 peaks worldwide over 8000m.
GROUND TEAM
Sir Robert Swan
Kat Bruce
Founder, Nature Metrics
Prof. Tom Battin
Professor, EPFL Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Dr. Jerome Chappelaz
Fondation Ice Memory
Meagan Fallone
Co-Founder & Ambassador, Mountain Path; Founder, Step Up Advisers
Anne-Cécile Turner
Co-Founder, BloomUp Sustainability Agency
THE JOURNEY
Arhuay Glacier Cordillera Blanca
Peru, South America
6046m
Lewis Glacier Mount Kenya
Kenya, Africa
~5000m
Annapurna IV Glacier Himalayas
Nepal, Asia
7525m
Great Aletsch Glacier Alps
Switzerland, Europe
~4000m
Hubbard Glacier Mount Logan
Canada, North America
~3400m
Carstensz Glacier Sudirman Range
Indonesia, Oceania
4660m
The Science
Establishing a glacier biodiversity baseline
Across the world, glaciers are vanishing at unprecedented rates. They are silent witnesses to a rapidly changing climate. These frozen landscapes hold the stories of our planet’s past, written in layers of snow and ice over thousands of years. But they are melting faster than ever, taking with them the biodiversity, freshwater, and climate stability that sustain life on Earth.
The Baseline Glacier Challenge captures echoes in ice—establishing the first biodiversity record from glaciers across six continents. By sampling environmental DNA (eDNA) trapped in the ice, this expedition is creating a global snapshot of glacier life before it disappears.
Memories in ice
Over 28 trillion tonnes of Earth’s ice has melted in just 24 years.
Each melting glacier erases part of our planet’s memory – landscapes that have shaped cultures, ecosystems, and weather patterns for millennia. This expedition captures those memories before they vanish forever.
Echoes in Ice
A single eDNA sample can reveal hundreds or thousands of species.
Through cutting-edge eDNA science, we’re listening to the biological ‘heartbeat’ of glaciers, revealing how life endures – and what we stand to lose as the ice retreats.
Altitudes of Change
Glaciers supply freshwater to nearly 2 billion people worldwide.
High-altitude glaciers connect mountains to the ocean and people to the planet. By merging mountaineering with science, this expedition highlights how protecting glaciers safeguards our shared future.
Memories in Ice
Over 28 trillion tonnes of Earth’s ice has melted in just 24 years.
Each melting glacier erases part of our planet’s memory – landscapes that have shaped cultures, ecosystems, and weather patterns for millennia. This expedition captures those memories before they vanish forever.
Glacier Research
eDNA offers scientists an entirely new way to study glaciers—by identifying genetic traces left behind by organisms in snow and ice. Unlike ice cores, which capture climate records, eDNA reveals which species have inhabited these frozen landscapes. Analysing samples from six continents will create the first global biodiversity reference for glaciers, allowing future researchers to measure changes in life on ice with unprecedented accuracy.
Together, these discoveries deepen our understanding of how climate change is reshaping life on Earth—and why protecting the world’s remaining glaciers matters more than ever.
CONTACT
Be part of the Baseline Glacier Challenge and help amplify the mission to protect the world’s glaciers. Whether you’re inspired by the science, the adventure, or the urgent need to act, there are ways for you to get involved.
Have questions about the challenge? Want to pledge your support or explore ways to contribute? Use the contact form below to get in touch—we’d love to hear from you.
Our Partners
Social
Be part of the Baseline Glacier Challenge and help amplify the mission to protect the world’s glaciers. Whether you’re inspired by the science, the adventure, or the urgent need to act, there are ways for you to get involved.