Melting Dolomites glaciers expose war explosives
Melting glaciers in Dolomites reveal cache of first world war munitions
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Photo by marco forno on Unsplash
Warm-up
- What safety rules do you follow when you go hiking?
- Have you ever visited a museum about history? What did you see?
- How can melting ice or snow change a mountain trip?
Vocabulary
- glacier
- A large, slow-moving mass of ice on mountains.
- hiker
- A person who walks long distances for pleasure in nature.
- brigade
- A large, organised group of soldiers in an army.
- defuse
- To make a bomb safe so it cannot explode.
- artillery
- Large guns used by an army, firing shells over distance.
- mortar
- A short, portable gun that fires bombs at a high angle.
- report
- To tell the police or authorities about something you saw.
- relic
- An old object from the past that has been kept or found.
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishRapidly melting glaciers in Italy's Dolomites have revealed a cache of first world war explosives. Hikers reported sightings in the Primiero Valley near Canal San Bovo. The army's Julia Alpine brigade then swept high-altitude areas across Trentino Alto Adige. Soldiers recovered and defused 250 devices, including 18 Italian 75mm artillery shells and 37 Thevetot mortar shells.
The weapons date to the white war between Austro-Hungarian and Italian forces from 1915 to 1918. As glaciers retreat, more relics emerge each summer. Finds range from sledges and diaries to shelters once sealed in ice. A museum in Bormio is scheduled to open in June 2027 to display such items.
Authorities warn hikers: never touch any explosive you might find, and report it to police. Melting ice has also made the mountains less safe. Eleven people died when part of the Marmolada glacier collapsed in 2022.
Comprehension
- Which valley did hikers report sightings in?
- Which army unit carried out the sweep and removal?
- How many explosives were recovered and made safe?
- From which years does the white war date?
- What should hikers do if they find a device?
Grammar focus
Prepositions of time
Use at for clock times and fixed points (at 6 a.m., at night), on for days and dates (on Monday, on 15 June), and in for months, years and seasons (in June, in 2027, in winter). Use from...to for a period. (Examples constructed.)
- Part of the Marmolada glacier collapsed in 2022.
- Patrols searched high paths at night.
Grammar exercise
Circle the correct option in each sentence.
- The white war ran (from 1915 to 1918 / in 1915 to 1918).
- The Bormio museum is set to open (on June 2027 / in June 2027).
- Patrols met (in 6 a.m. / at 6 a.m.).
- More relics appear (in summer / at summer).
- Hikers reported finds (at Monday / on Monday).
Discussion
- Have you ever hiked in mountains? What safety steps did you take?
- Should museums display war relics found in nature? Why or why not?
- How can authorities warn visitors about old explosives in parks?
- Do melting glaciers change how people should use high mountains?
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