The Gorner Glacier (German: Gornergletscher) is one of the largest glaciers in the Alps. It is about 12 km long and 1 to 1.5 km wide (depending on when you read this, as it is rapidly retreating). The Gornergletscher is situated on the west side of the Monte Rosa massif close to Zermatt and is easily reached with the Gornergrat Bahn from Zermatt. The Gornergletscher is actually the name of a system of smaller glaciers. Its main tributary is now the Grenzgletscher. The upper part of the Gornergletscher is now disconnected from the lower part, as are the Breithorngletscher, Triftjigletscher, and the Unterer Theodulgletscher. I first visited Zermatt and the Gornergrat summer 2014. The following year I took a guided tour across the Gornergletscher, or rather the Grenzgletscher to be precise, to the Monte Rosa hut.

Gornergletscher
The Gornergletscher on a glorious day
Gornergletscher
One of the tributaries of the Gorner glacier (in fact this one is called Gornergletscher)
Gornergletscher
On the left the Gornergletscher proper on the right the Grenzgletscher
Gornergletscher
A former tributary of the Gornergletscher, which has receded too far to contribute much or anything
The ladder down to the glacier
In the top right corner the destination: the Monte Rosa hut
Deep crevasses in the Gornergletscher
The Gorner glacier from up close

A world of ice

Gornergletscher
The Gornergletscher and the Matterhorn as seen from the Monte Rosa hut
Gornergletscher
The Gornergletscher as seen from the Gornergletscher

The Gornergletscher as seen from the Gornergletscher...

Gornergletscher
The Gornergletscher as seen from the Gornergletscher
Don't be mistaken: there's ice underneath the rocks
Deep crevasses in the Gornergletscher
Deep crevasses in the Gornergletscher
To cross the glacier you have to step over the crevasses and follow the ridges

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In 2022 I revisited the Gornergletscher and took some more amazing photos.

More glaciers! The Glacier Trail Felskinn Mattmark and the Aletschgletscher in Switzerland, Svellnossbreen and Nigardsbreen in Norway, Falljökull in Iceland and the Russell Glacier and Eqi Glacier in Greenland.

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