Human remains found on Aletsch glacier

Binoculars were also found near the human remains Canton Valais Police

British climbers on the Aletsch glacier in canton Valais have discovered the remains of up to four people, which are believed to date back to the 1920s.

The skeletons were found on Thursday on the glacier, all within a radius of 50 square metres, according to Markus Rieder, police spokesman for Valais cantonal police.

Also found in the area were pieces of clothing, binoculars, a pocket watch, a tobacco pipe, snowshoes, wooden walking sticks and a leather wallet containing coins worth SFr9, the newest being from the year 1921.

Formal identification is expected to take several weeks. The bodies are currently being examined by forensics and the criminal technical department of the cantonal police.

The local Walliser Bote newspaper reported that the remains may have belonged to four hikers who disappeared in March 1926 after bad weather interrupted their climb.

DNA testing will be used to tell whether the remains are indeed those of the four climbers. Although the missing men were young at the time and did not have children, their many nieces and nephews still live in the area.