On 2 December in Sion, about 600 visitors braved the first snow to explore the complex beauty of the cryosphere and the polar regions through various engaging activities including an exhibition of circumpolar art, an interactive science area, a polar explorer treasure hunt and live conferences from Antarctica.

The festival was organised by Swiss Polar Institute’s outreach programme which mission is to raise awareness on the importance of scientific research and polar and high-altitude regions in understanding climate change. Valuable support from the Canton of Valais, the Energypolis campus and EPFL Valais-Wallis, as well as a close collaboration with Museum Cerny, EPFL Science Outreach Department and Espace des Inventions made this venture possible.

We thank all the partners and participants and invite you to prolong the experience by discovering the highlights of the day in the gallery below.

© Swiss Polar Class, all rights reserved

Photo credits: © Steven Schlosser, all rights reserved