6 Glaciers In The Jungfrau Region

We also come across water in its frozen form in the Jungfrau region. Yes, even the largest alpine glacier, the Aletsch glacier. It is one of 1463 glaciers in Switzerland. Still. Since the 1970s, more than 700 glaciers have melted away. A consequence of climate change. So it's high time to get up close and personal with the eternal ice. These five glaciers are definitely worth a visit.

#1 LARGE ALETSCHGLACIER

It is the largest glacier in the Alps. Over a length of 23 km, it covers an area of 80 square kilometers. At its deepest point it is 900 meters thick. A total of 11 billion tons of ice lie here. If the ice giant were to melt, each citizen of the earth could be supplied with one liter of water a day for 3.5 years. As things stand, global warming is causing the Aletsch glacier to shrink by 50 meters per year. The Great Aletsch Glacier is the heart of the JungfrauAletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can get a good view of the «eternal» ice from the Jungfraujoch.

#2 LOWER GRINDELWALD GLACIER

It was one of the largest Swiss glaciers. From it sprang the White Luetschine. There is a reason why we are writing in the past. Due to glacier recession, the Lower Grindelwald Glacier has receded so much since 1850 that the glacier tongue that originally gave it its name no longer exists today. Only its former tributaries, which have their own names, still exist.

#3 UPPER GRINDELWALD GLACIER

The special thing about the 6 km long glacier: its tongue is located at only 1400 m above sea level - making it one of the lowest perpetual ice fields in the Alps. If we take the bus from Grindelwald to the Gleckstein junction, we can hike along the Isch path along the deep gorge of the Upper Grindelwald Glacier to the Gleckstein Hut. An imposing mountain path that requires surefootedness. At the top we are rewarded with a beautiful view of the glacier and more.

#4 ROSENLAUI GLACIER

Located south of Meiringen, the glacier is 4.5 km long, 1 km wide and is situated between Wellhorn (3191 m a.s.l.), small Wellhorn (2700 m a.s.l.) and Dossen (3138 m a.s.l.). It can be reached on foot from Rosenlaui. The glacier tongue is currently located at 2000 m a.s.l. Here the Weissenbach rises, which falls steeply into the valley with waterfalls and flows into the Reichenbach after the Rosenlaui glacier gorge. This in turn carries the water over the famous Reichenbach Falls through the Reichenbach Valley into the Aare.

#5 GAULIGLETSCHER

5 km long, 1 km wide, connected in the west with the Upper Grindelwald Glacier, in the north with the Rosenlaui Glacier. This is the Gauligletscher. A two-day tour leads us from Innertkirchen to the practically untouched rear Urbach valley - with an overnight stay in the Gaulihütte. In 1946, the Gauligletscher inadvertently made the headlines when the American military plane Dakota crashed, or rather stranded, on the glacier. The rescue of the survivors caused an international sensation. It was the first alpine air rescue in the world.

#6 AARGLETSCHER

This group of glaciers includes the Oberaar glacier, whose outflow is formed by the Aare river, which, after a short run, receives the outflow of the Unteraar glacier. The latter is formed by the union of two higher ice streams descending from the high valleys on the Schreckhorn and separated below by the rocky ridge of the Lauteraarhörner, namely the Lauteraar Glacier and the Finsteraar Glacier. The Unteraar glacier, with a length of 12 km, is the fifth largest Alpine glacier. Via the six-kilometer-long panorama road, or from June 2021 with the self-propelled gondola, we reach the Berghaus Oberaar from the Grimsel Hospiz - and enjoy the view over the impressive glacier world on the way.