Grosser-Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland, 2017


On July 17th, 2017; I had the opportunity to hike up onto a ridge and get a excellent view of the Grosser Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland. I approached the area, by riding a cable-car and hiking above Feisch, Switzerland.  

The Aletsch Glacier and Aare Gorge area map
Map of the Feisch area; (image taken from “Climber’s and Hiker’s Guide to the World’s Mountains & Volcanos 4th edition; Kelsey 2001)

     Switzerland’s Grosser Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps.

Picture of a public sign from the Aletsch Glacier viewpoint

     The Aletsch Glacier is included in the World Heritage Site list of the U.N., it’s over 1.5 miles wide.

Looking north towards the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger Peaks, Switzerland

     Located in the Benner Oberland region near the French and Italian borders, the Aletsch glacier is also the source of the Rhone River.

Looking west towards the Aletschhorn and the Aletsch Glacier

     The Aletsch glacier predates the last ice age, and is an estimated 60,000 years old.

Looking southwest towards the foot of the Aletsch Glacier and the Matterhorn in Switzerland.
The hiking trail back to the Aletsch-viewpoint gondola.  Picture taken southwest towards the Matterhorn.

     The next day, I’ll drive to the other side of the glacier and take a gondola to the head of the Aletsch glacier, where it starts. 

At the head of the Aletsch Glacier, looking south towards the Matterhorn and a the point where I was 24 hours ago.

    

      The region is plowed by the Aletsch Glacier, that is 15 miles in length and 3,000 ft. deep. Above the picture shows the Aletsch Glacier from the head looking south towards the Matterhorn.  I’m standing in front of Jungfrau peak at the Jungfrau Meteorological/Climatological
Research Station. I took a train that tunneled through to Eiger, to get there. In other words, I’m standing on top of the famous Eiger.

Aare Gorge near Grindelwald

     On my drive to the Grindelwald, the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschorn region, location in the south-central Swiss Alps, is a stunningly beautiful region. A rich coalition of geological and glacial processes have combined to produce this extraordinary landscape. The complex rock formations here, are the result of over-thrusting and folding rock layers between 20-40 million years ago, and have subsequently been exposed by the action of large glaciers. The region covers 133,400 acres and boast heights ranging between 3000 ft. and 14,000 ft.  Picture above and below is brief exploration of Aare Gorge near the highway.

Aare Gorge in Grindelward, Switzerland
Some interesting caves found in the Aare Gorge, Switzerland
The sign explaining the caves found in the Aare Gorge