Glacier Tour to the Griesslisee and the Aletsch Glacier


Spalten im Eis des Aletschgletschers aus der Luft

Over the long Corpus Christi weekend I was finally drawn back to the Swiss Alps, to glaciers and their textures, which only show their full face from a bird’s-eye view. The drone came along, of course.

The Griesslisee

Our first stop was the small Griesslisee on the Klausen Pass, where a glacier calves straight into the lake. After the warm days at Lake Constance the cold was tempting, and after the shots I went briefly into the icy water.

The Aletsch Glacier

The next day the gondola from Fiesch took us up to the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. Even the hike to its edge opened up the view, but only from above did its textures show themselves fully: cracks and crevasses like natural art and, beneath them, a small, glowing ice cave. Two cool days, in the truest sense of the word. The Klausen Pass links Altdorf in Uri with Linthal in Glarus at 1,948 metres and is usually closed from October to May. The Aletsch Glacier is around 23 kilometres long, up to 905 metres thick at Konkordiaplatz and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pictures from the Griesslisee: 

Turquoise Griesslisee under clouds and snow-flecked rock faces, from the air
The turquoise Griesslisee on the Klausen Pass, clouds and snow-flecked rock walls above.
Grey rock face with a thin waterfall, a snow slope in front, from the air
A grey rock face with a thin waterfall, the snow slope in front.
Several waterfalls falling over the rock face onto a tongue of snow, from the air
Several waterfalls drop over the rock face onto a tongue of snow.
Meltwater plunging over the rock and fanning out in the snow, from the air
Meltwater plunges over the rock and fans out in the snow.
Griesslisee at the stepped ice edge, snowfield and waterfalls above, from the air
The stepped ice edge at the Griesslisee, snowfield and waterfalls above.
Steep ice wall meeting the turquoise water of the Griesslisee, from the air
Here the glacier calves straight into the lake – the ice wall at the turquoise water.
Blue-grey glacier ice with dark, almost horizontal stripes, from the air
Blue-grey ice with dark, almost horizontal bands.
Two shots of crevasses in the snow, the right one with a dark edge, from the air
Crevasses in the snow, twice, the right one with a dark edge.
Man from behind, up to his thighs in the turquoise Griesslisee, rock face behind
After the shoot, a quick dip in the icy water – the cold was calling.

Pictures from the Aletsch Glacier: 

Aletsch Glacier with dark medial moraines between snow-covered peaks, from the air
The Aletsch Glacier with its dark medial moraines between snowy peaks.
Broad ice surface of the Aletsch Glacier in front of a rocky mountain range, from the air
The broad ice surface of the largest glacier in the Alps before the mountain range.
Curving medial moraines on the Aletsch Glacier under a blue sky, from the air
Curving medial moraines run across the Aletsch Glacier.
Aletsch Glacier next to a reddish rock face, snow-covered peaks behind, from the air
The glacier beside a reddish rock wall, peaks behind.
Pale ice surface of the Aletsch Glacier with fine cracks and blue veins, from the air
Pale ice with fine cracks and blue veins.
Fissured ice of the Aletsch Glacier with deep crevasses and blue edges, from the air
Fissured ice with deep crevasses and blue edges.
Two shots of the Aletsch Glacier: fine ice cracks on the left, debris stripes on the right, from the air
Fine cracks in the ice on the left, a strip of rubble on the right.
Domed, tightly crevassed ice of the Aletsch Glacier beneath the rock face, from the air
Bulging, tightly split ice beneath the rock wall.
Fan of crevasses in the ice of the Aletsch Glacier, ochre rock at top left, from the air
A fan of crevasses, ochre rock at the top left.
Two curved debris stripes on the cracked ice of the Aletsch Glacier, from the air
Two curving rubble bands on the cracked ice – fissures and crevasses like nature's art.
Ice of the Aletsch Glacier between rock on the left and a straight band of debris, from the air
The ice between rock and a straight band of rubble.
Reddish rock on the left, folded ice of the Aletsch Glacier beside it, from the air
Reddish rock with folded ice beside it.
Two shots of the folded ice of the Aletsch Glacier, blue crevasses on the right, from the air
Folded ice, blue crevasses on the right.
Narrow, vertical crevasses in the pale ice of the Aletsch Glacier, from the air
Narrow vertical crevasses in the pale ice.
Turquoise meltwater channels in the pale ice of the Aletsch Glacier, from the air
Turquoise meltwater channels cutting into the pale ice.
Blue crevasses in the ice of the Aletsch Glacier beneath a pale rock face, from the air
Blue crevasses beneath a pale rock wall.
Pale ice ribs and narrow blue channels at the edge of the Aletsch Glacier, from the air
Pale ice ribs and narrow blue channels at the edge of the glacier.
Two shots: pale ice ribs on the left, a long crevasse on the right, Aletsch Glacier from the air
Ice ribs and a long crevasse – the Aletsch Glacier in detail.
Dark ice cave in the Aletsch Glacier, a blue opening and a boulder in the scree
Beneath it, a small glowing ice cave – two cool days, in every sense.

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