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34-638: The whole area, including other glaciers is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area , which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The Aletsch Glacier is one of the many glaciers located between the cantons of Bern and Valais on the Bernese Alps located east of the Gemmi Pass . The whole area is considered to be the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia. The Fiescher and Aar Glaciers lying on

68-565: A great right turn and bends ever closer to the southwest, running through the edge of the Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn of the Rhône valley. The lowest part of the great Aletsch Glacier is largely covered with detritus of the lateral and medial moraines . The glacier's toe currently lies about 1560 m high, far beneath the local tree line . From it springs the Massa stream, which flows through

102-470: Is 23 km long and has a maximum thickness of 900 metres at Konkordiaplatz . The protected site covers an area of 82,388 ha, comprising the 53,888 ha existing World Heritage Site plus extensions at both ends totaling 28,500 ha. 56% is within the Canton of Valais, 44% within the Canton of Bern. Glaciers and barren rock constitute 80% of the area; 6% is forested, 5.2% is alpine meadow, and 8%

136-644: Is a valley glacier on the south side of the Bernese Alps in the canton of Valais , Switzerland . 16 km (9.9 mi) in length, it is the second longest glacier in the Alps . The glacier covers an area of 33 km (13 sq mi). The starting point of the Fiescher Glacier is 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level, on the eastern slope of the Fiescherhorn , it is flanked to

170-528: Is almost untouched, except for trails and mountain huts. It is deeply glaciated. About half of the area is higher than 2,600 metres, a few hundred metres lower than the limit between the glaciers accumulation and ablation zones. The total area covered by glacier is 35,000 ha, it constitutes the largest continuous area of ice in the Alps . The largest and longest glacier in the Alps, the Aletsch Glacier

204-438: Is also the highest mountain in the Bernese Alps . 8 other summits above 4,000 metres are located in the area: Aletschhorn , Jungfrau , Mönch , Schreckhorn , Gross Fiescherhorn , Hinter Fiescherhorn , Grünhorn and Lauteraarhorn . The summit ridge separating the cantons of Valais and Bern is the main watershed of Europe . The principal valleys on the north side run due north below the precipitous 20 kilometer north wall of

238-636: Is connected in the over the glacier pass Grünhornlücke (3280 m high) to the Fiescher Glacier in the east. From the Konkordiaplatz , the Aletsch Glacier has a width of approximately 1.5 km and moves at a rate of 180 m per year to the southeast on course with the Rhône valley, bordering the Dreieckhorn in the west and the great Wannenhorn in the east. It then takes

272-435: Is explained with the large size of the Aletsch Glacier, which reacts much slower to climate change than smaller glaciers. It is however estimated that, by 2100, the glacier will have only one tenth of its 2018 ice mass. On August 18, 2007, photographer Spencer Tunick used hundreds of naked people in a "living sculpture" on the Aletsch Glacier in a photo shoot which he said was intended to draw attention to global warming and

306-521: Is located in south-western Switzerland between the cantons of Bern and Valais . It is a mountainous region in the easternmost side of the Bernese Alps , containing the northern wall of Jungfrau and Eiger , and the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia, comprising the Aletsch Glacier . The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area is the first World Natural Heritage site in the Alps; it was inscribed in 2001. The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area

340-806: Is located in the Swiss Alps between the Bernese Oberland and north-eastern Valais , about 25 km south of Interlaken and 20 km north of Brig . The site covers the whole Aar massif from the Oeschinensee in the west to the Grimselsee (not comprised) in the east, including the basins of the Aletsch , Fiescher , Aar and Grindelwald glaciers. The culminating point is the Finsteraarhorn which, with its 4,270 metres,

374-544: Is located on the west side. Before reaching the maximum flow, four smaller glaciers converge at Konkordiaplatz : South of Konkordiaplatz, the glacier runs towards the valley of the Oberwallis (Upper Valais); on the east side, near Bettmeralp , lies a small glacier lake, Märjelensee (2,301 m (7,549 feet)); from the western side used to enter the Mittelaletschgletscher , but since

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408-495: Is protected and the facilities are mostly restricted to the external zones. The region between Belalp , Riederalp and Bettmeralp (which is called Aletsch Region ) in Valais gives access to the lower part of the glacier. The Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn are popular view points and are accessible by cable car. The Massa river can be crossed since 2008 by a suspension bridge, thus allowing hikes between

442-438: Is scrub. Altitude is the strongest factor influencing the distribution and diversity of the vegetation. Within the nominated area there are 1,800 species of vascular plants and 700 mosses . The growing period decreases with altitude, but there are 529 species of phanerogams and pteridophytes above the tree line . Broadleaf montane forest extends from 900 m to 1,300 m on north- facing slopes. On south-facing slopes

476-577: The Fusshörner were above the glacier. After an important retreat, the glacier again advanced 11,000 years ago during the last glacial period . The glacier reached the Rhône valley, and its ice the Riederfurka . Remaining moraines are still visible in the Aletsch Forest. Since the last glaciation, the glacier generally retreated. However slight climatic changes happened and, in 1860,

510-420: The chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ), alpine ibex ( Capra ibex ), red deer ( Cervus elaphus ). Smaller mammals include the mountain hare ( Lepus timidus ), fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), ermine ( Mustela erminea ), marmot ( Marmota marmota ) and the reintroduced lynx ( Felis lynx ). The regions of the Bernese Oberland and Valais have been popular tourist destinations since the 19th century. The Jungfrau

544-728: The Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger, thence to the Aar , a tributary of the Rhine which runs into the North Sea. The southern valleys drain into the southwest running valley of the Rhone which flows into the Mediterranean sea. The climate of the region is strongly influenced by the height of the mountains. They form a barrier between the wet sub-oceanic climate of the north and the drier climate of

578-629: The Massa Canyon and is used to generate hydroelectric power. It continues through the upper half of the Brig , eventually entering into the Rhône . The great Aletsch Glacier shows considerable ice cover. At the Konkordiaplatz , it has an ice cover of more than 900 m, but as it moves to the south, the greater part of the ice melts, gradually decreasing the cover to around 150 m. The characteristically dark medial moraine, situated almost in

612-581: The centre being inaccessible to walkers. The site can only be accessed by experienced mountaineers and there is a series of 37 shelters and five mountain refuges with a total of 1,582 beds, managed by the Swiss Alpine Club . The Aletsch ecological centre in Riederalp is run by Pro Natura functions as a visitor center. Fiescher Glacier The Fiescher Glacier ( Fieschergletscher in German)

646-585: The east have similar extensions. Except the Finsteraarhorn , all the highest summits of the Bernese Alps are located within the drainage basin of the glacier. The Jungfrau and Mönch constitute the northern boundary; the Gross Fiescherhorn and Gross Wannenhorn lie on its east side; finally the culminating point, the Aletschhorn (4,193 m (13,757 ft))

680-643: The end of the 20th century the connection with the Aletsch Glacier has been lost. Further down, until about 1880, the Oberaletschgletscher did also enter the Aletsch Glacier at its mouth. But since then both glaciers have been retreating so far that they do not connect anymore (the Upper Aletsch Glacier did retreat about 1.3 km (0.81 mi) from its connecting point with the Aletsch Glacier), but both serve now only as

714-644: The glacier was 3 km longer and the ice level 200 m higher. As for many other glaciers, records show a major longer-term retreat trend. The Aletsch Glacier receded by 3.2 km (2.0 mi) since 1870, including 1.3 km (0.81 mi) since 1980. A record retreat of 114.6 metres (376 ft) happened in 2006 alone. Since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850 the glacier has lost 20 percent of its ice mass, considerably less than other glaciers in Switzerland, which have lost up to 50 percent. This

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748-448: The glacier, is located the historic Villa Cassel, former summer residence of many famous and influential guests from the worlds of politics and finance. The house is now one of the centers of the environmental organization Pro Natura , which hosts a permanent exhibition about the site. Also at the mouth of the Konkordiaplatz from the east is the small but important Grüneggfirn (3 km long and averaging 600 m wide). This firn

782-626: The left and the right part of the glacier. The Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m) gives a direct access to the upper Aletsch Glacier as well as the normal route to the Jungfrau . It can be reached only from Interlaken in the canton Bern . Hiking paths pass the Konkordia Hut or the Hollandia Hut , eventually reaching other glaciers in the massif. On the Riederfurka , at 2,065 metres between Riederalp and

816-585: The middle of the glacier, runs protracted in two bands from the Konkordiaplatz along the whole length to the glacier's toe-zone. This medial moraine is collected from the ice of three large ice fields, which all run together. The westernmost medial moraine has been named the Kranzbergmoräne , and the easternmost carries the name Trugbergmoräne . The Aletsch Glacier resulted from the accumulation and compaction of snow. Glaciers generally form where snow and ice accumulation exceed snow and ice melt. As

850-426: The moraine of the glacier after its maximum extension in 1850. The zone directly above the tree line forms a girdle of moorland vegetation and Alpine grassland. 1,250 fauna species have been recorded on the site, including 271 vertebrates: 42 mammals, 99 birds, eight reptiles, four amphibians and seven fish, and numerous invertebrates including 97 molluscs and 979 insects. As for the rest of the Alps, common species are

884-539: The same zone is approximately 200 m higher. The subalpine zone lies between 1,300 m to 2,000 m, between the broadleaf and alpine zone. Characteristic species are the Swiss Pine ( Pinus Cembra ) and the Norway Spruce ( Picea abies ) on the north and south side respectively. An example of Pinus cembra forest is the Aletsch Forest above the Aletsch Glacier and near the tree line. It developed on

918-460: The shrinking of the world's glaciers. The temperature was about 10 °C (50 °F) at the time of the photo shoot. The 600 participants on the shrinking glacier said that they had volunteered for Tunick (a collaboration with Greenpeace) to let the world know about the effects of global warming on the melting Swiss glaciers. Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area (officially Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch )

952-459: The snow and ice thicken it reaches a point where it begins to move due to a combination of gravity and pressure of the overlying snow and ice. During the last glacial periods, the Aletsch Glacier was much larger than now. 18,000 years ago the lower part of the ridge, between Riederalp and the glacier, was completely covered by ice. Only the summits of the Bettmerhorn , Eggishorn and

986-604: The source of the river Massa . The river flows through the Lake Gibidum (a reservoir, and coincidentally representing the glacier's mouth region in the 19th century, which is a retreat of more than 4 km (2.5 mi)) and a gorge of the same name before reaching the Rhône near Brig . The area of the Aletsch Glacier and some surrounding valleys is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, thus it

1020-675: The south western slope of the Finsteraarhorn, about 100 m (330 ft) above the Fieschergletscher, the Finsteraarhornhütte of the Swiss Alpine Club (3,048 m (10,000 ft) above sea level) is often used as an intermediate station on the route from Lötschental or Jungfraujoch to the Grimsel Pass . This glacier is not to be confused with the like-named Grindelwald-Fieschergletscher on

1054-438: The south-facing Valais slopes. On the north side the rainfall exceeds 2,200 mm, most falling in summer, but on the south side it is only 1,000 mm, with more falling in winter. The Valais experiences a subcontinental climate at low and medium altitudes and is markedly semi-arid. Mean annual temperatures range from -8.5 °C at Jungfraujoch (3,500 m) to 9.1 °C at Brig (700 m). The Jungfrau-Aletsch site

Aletsch Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-629: The west by the Grünhorn and Gross Wannenhorn and to the east by the Finsteraarhorn . In the lower section, the Fiescher Glacier flows south through a deep valley between the Gross Wannenhorn and the Wasenhorn . In summer, when the snow layer melts, it has a grey colour as it is covered with rocks coming from the steep slopes of the mountains around. The end of glacier tongue is at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level. On

1122-523: Was built between 1870 and 1912, taking visitors from Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m) to Jungfraujoch (3,454 m), the saddle between the Mönch and Jungfrau. On the south side the area of Riederalp - Bettmeralp hosts most of the visitors. Other inhabited regions on the margin are Kandersteg and the Lötschental . The network of foot-paths is well developed around the site but nonexistent through it,

1156-484: Was first climbed in 1811 and the Finsteraarhorn in 1812. The first tourists came mostly in summer, but in the 1930s winter sports became also popular. On the north side visitors are only able to visit the site via the Jungfrau railway which leads to the Jungfraujoch . The railway has turned the site from an inaccessible mountain face to a very accessible site visited by large nearby populations. The Jungfrau railway

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