The IGU Commission on Mountain Studies (CMS) is pleased to announce its successful participation in the Frozen Pasts 6 Conference, held at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE-Q) in Quito, Ecuador, from 7–12 July 2025. The Commission was honored to serve as an official Supporter of the event, with CMS Chair Prof. Fausto Sarmiento serving on the Scientific Committee.
CMS’s presence at Frozen Pasts 6 was marked by active scholarly engagement, collaborative sessions, and meaningful contributions to global discussions on mountain heritage, glaciers, and high-altitude cultural landscapes.
CMS Sessions and Contributions
Under the direction of CMS Chair Prof. Fausto Sarmiento and CMS Secretary Dr. Neslihan Dal, the session
“Transdisciplinarity and Indigenous Montology of the High Mountains”
brought together several case studies demonstrating how interdisciplinary and nature–culture perspectives help conceptualize snow-capped peaks as cultural landscapes with significant ecological heritage. The presentations highlighted the value of Indigenous knowledge systems and montological approaches in understanding high-mountain environments.
Additionally, CMS Steering Committee member Dr. Olivier Dangles, who also served as one of the conference organizers, moderated two key thematic sessions:
- “Glaciers in the Anthropocene”
- “Glaciers as Symbolic Places of Encounter”
These sessions fostered rich discussions on glacier vulnerability, cultural meanings of high-mountain environments, and the need for collaborative conservation strategies.