The Great Aletsch Glacier
Mightiest glacier of the Alps
With an unbelievable 10 billion tons of ice, the Great Aletsch glacier is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site and is the Alps' mightiest ice flow. It is easily accessible and is ideally situated for extensive hikes and special nature excursions. The entire region is a habitat for many rare animal and plant species.
Like nearly all glaciers on Earth, the Aletsch glacier is retreating due to climate change. It has already retreated by over 3 kilometres since 1870 and is expected to lose at least half of its volume by 2100 according to the most optimistic projections. In worst-case climate scenarios – in which greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated – it could virtually disappear by the end of the century.
Learn more on it's future retreat and what you can do about climate change.