Klaus Thymann, an explorer and scientist, completed a high-altitude mission in November to capture the first detailed 3D model of a rapidly vanishing tropical glacier on Puncak Jaya, Indonesia's highest peak. The glacier sits in a remote, rebel-held region of Central Papua Province, accessible only by helicopter and under armed guard due to extreme security risks.
Thymann flew nearly 15,000 feet up the mountain after waiting days for safe flying conditions. He spent days creating the model, racing against time as scientists estimate these rare ice formations could disappear entirely within a decade.
The glacier is among the world's last tropical glaciers, which exist only at extreme altitudes near the equator. The U.S. State Department warns against travel to the region due to civil unrest and hostage risks, and Indonesia has banned hiking to the peaks.
Thymann's project, conducted under the banner of his organization Project Pressure, seeks to preserve a permanent scientific record of the ice before it melts. The 3D model will serve as a baseline for future research on glacial retreat in tropical environments.
"We stand now to lose these glaciers within a decade," Thymann told Fast Company, emphasizing the urgency of the documentation effort. His work highlights the intersection of climate science and extreme field work in some of the world's most inaccessible and dangerous locations.