Ice caves 2010In summer and autumn 2010 a number of small ice caves were discovered below the location locally known as Chatzulecher, along the ture left margin of Grosser Aletschglestcher. The following photos were all taken on October 13th, 2010. In addition to these photos two videoclips give an impression of the sights and sounds within one of the ice caves. | |||
 Entrance to one of the ice caves; despite holes in the cave roof this one seemed stable and safe enough to enter... (fisheye lens). |  Lower end of cave, looking downglacier. The rock embedded in the ice, in front of the person, is also shown in the next photo (fisheye lens). |  Rocks embedded in the very clear basal ice. The big rock is also visible in the next photo, on the left. |  Looking upglacier, against the direction of ice flow. The ice is overflowing an obstable. Glacial erosion is generating a roche muotonee (compare next photo). |
 Close-up of the leeward side of the roche moutonee. Note how fine sediment is dragged from the rock surface towards the left. |  Central part of the ice cave, near the entrance, looking downglacier. More rocks, some of considerable size can be seen within the ice. |  Meltwater is entering the cave via a small moulin, causing a pretty waterfall. |  The same waterfall seen from a different perspective. |
 Upper part of cave, looking upglacier. Note the elliptical cavities visible within the bluish glacier ice. |  Close-up of one of the many cavities within the ice. Its diamaeter is in the order of 30 centiemetres. |  Another ice cave was found further upglacier but deemed too unstable and thus too dangerous to enter. |  Looking into the same ice cave as seen in the previous photo, standing in a glacial meltwater channel. |
| Photos Jürg Alean | |||