Upper Grindelwald Glacier
The Upper Grindelwald Glacier is a valley glacier at Grindelwald on the northern slopes of the Bernese Alps , in the canton of Bern of Switzerland . It has a length of around 6 km and an area of almost 10 km².
The Upper Grindelwald Glacier arises from an extensive field of firn that is bordered by the Schreckhorn in the south, by the Berglistock in the east and by the Wetterhorn in the north . Towards the northeast, the glacier is connected to the Rosenauigletscher and the Gauligletscher via the firn-covered passage of the Rosenegg (3470 m above sea level) ; in the southeast it is separated from the Unteraar glacier system by the Lauteraarsattel (3,125 m above sea level) . In the deeply sunk valley between the Mattenberg (3,104 m above sea level) in the southwest and the Wetterhorn in the northeast, the Upper Grindelwald Glacier flows as a 200 to 500 m wide ice stream with a steep gradient to the northwest. The glacier tongue is currently at around 1400 m above sea level. M. and is therefore one of the lowest eternal ice fields in the Alps . The glacier feeds the Schwarze Lütschine , which is part of the Aare catchment area .
At its peak during the Little Ice Age around the middle of the 19th century, the Upper Grindelwald Glacier reached over a rock bar (the "Nollen") up to 1180 m above sea level. M. and ended opposite the Grindelwald Hotel Wetterhorn. It was easily accessible and was therefore often visited in the 19th century. During this time, blocks of ice were mined here for use in inns and breweries. During the most recent advance between 1959 and 1985, a narrow end of the glacier tongue again reached the bottom of the valley behind Grindelwald (approx. 1220 m above sea level). However, since 1991 the glacier has been retreating rapidly in line with the general trend .
On the southern slope of the Wetterhorn high above the Upper Grindelwald Glacier stands at 2317 m above sea level. M. the Glecksteinhütte of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC. It offers a beautiful view of the glacier and the wide firn arena towered over by the Schreckhorn.
Glacier seen from a distance
View of the Upper Grindelwald Glacier from the Bort station
Web links
- Upper Grindelwald Glacier on Glaciers online
- Research Institute for Hydraulic Engineering, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) of the ETH Zurich : Upper Grindelwald Glacier. In: Glacier Natural Hazards. ( ethz.ch ( page no longer available ), also as a PDF ( page no longer available )).
- Upper Grindelwald Glacier, postcard, used 1911
- Photo documentation of the most recent retreat since 1985
