Upper Grindelwald Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Upper Grindelwald Glacier (German: Oberer Grindelwaldgletscher) is one of the two valley glacier
s south of Grindelwald
on the northern side of the Bernese Alps
, in the Canton of Berne
(the other being the Lower Grindelwald Glacier
). It has a length of about 6 km (3.7 mi) and covers an area of nearly 10 km² (3.9 sq mi).
The Upper Grindelwald Glacier arises from a vast snow field south of Schreckhorn
and north of Wetterhorn
. The glacier tongue is currently at around 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) above sea level, making it one of the lowest glaciers in the Alps
.
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s south of Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
on the northern side of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
, in the Canton of Berne
Canton of Berne
The Canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south...
(the other being the Lower Grindelwald Glacier
Lower Grindelwald Glacier
The Lower Grindelwald Glacier is the western one and the largest of the two Grindelwald Glaciers in the Bernese Alps, south of Grindelwald, the other being the Upper Grindelwald Glacier.The Lower Grindelwald Glacier covers an area of ....
). It has a length of about 6 km (3.7 mi) and covers an area of nearly 10 km² (3.9 sq mi).
The Upper Grindelwald Glacier arises from a vast snow field south of Schreckhorn
Schreckhorn
The Schreckhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps. It is the highest peak located entirely in the canton of Berne. The Schreckhorn is the northernmost Alpine four-thousander and the northernmost summit rising above 4,000 metres in Europe....
and north of Wetterhorn
Wetterhorn
The Wetterhorn is a mountain in the Swiss Alps close to the village of Grindelwald. First climbed in 1844, the 1854 ascent by Alfred Wills and party is more celebrated and is generally regarded to have marked the beginning of the golden age of alpinism.The mountain is composed of three distinct...
. The glacier tongue is currently at around 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) above sea level, making it one of the lowest glaciers in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
.