Friday, 23 October 2026
International edition · English
Tag
Everything about water on Altavia: 6 articles including news, guides, routes and features.
6 articles
At sea level water boils at 100 °C, but not in the mountains. With less pressure, molecules escape sooner and water boils at a lower temperature. That is why pasta takes longer in a mountain hut.
At 78° north, Svalbard's main town is living Arctic warming first-hand: tap water unfit to drink, homes made uninhabitable by thawing permafrost, avalanches and tour guides changing their routes.
Some rise on a glacier in Tibet, others at a lost spring in the Andes whose title two mountains dispute. Ten rivers that are still wild, told from their source.
A glacier is a balance between the snow it gains and the ice it loses. When the books come out in the red year after year, it retreats. We explain why this is happening almost everywhere and what it means for us.
Snow is not just scenery: it is a natural reservoir that releases water when it is needed most. When it snows less or melts earlier, rivers, forests, wildlife and the economy of entire valleys change.
Running out of water ruins a hike; carrying twice what you need does too. Here is a practical guideline, how to adjust it to your situation and when you can trust natural water sources.
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