The Rhone Glacier
The Rhone Glacier near the Furka pass (2431 m above sea level), is the source of the river Rhone. A belvedere and a hotel, located 3 km west of the Furkapass, allow the tourists to watch the Rhone Glacier from close and even to walk inside the glacier through a small tunnel dug in the ice. The tunnel must be dug again every year, since the glacier is a mass in movement.
In 1900 the Glacier of the Rhone did reach down the rocks where the water of the river Rhone is now pouring down and sometimes it did reach quite down to Gletsch. During the colder phases of the current glacial age, the Rhone Glacier did reach quite until the east of Lyons in France, covering the whole Valais and the area of the lake of Geneva with a 2000 m thick ice coat.
The Glacier of the Rhone, the water of the river coming out of the ice at the left of the photo.
Close view of the water of the Rhone river runing out of the ice of the Rhone Glacier.
The first few meters of the Rhone river after leaving the ice of the Rhone Glacier.
The Rhone Glacier at the top of the rocks, the river running down the rocks which were completely covered by the Rhone Glacier one hundred years ago.
The first 2 km of the river Rhone from the bottom of the rocks down to Gletsch where the Rhone Glacier did reach to, once.
The Hotel Belvedere, the Glacier of the Rhone is hidden behind the Hotel, the river Rhone running down the rocks can be seen on the left.
The Hotel Belvedere on the road to the Furka pass, the Glacier of the Rhone is behind the photographer.
The river Rhone at Gletsch where the Rhone Glacier did reach to, a century ago, the road on the left in the foregrond leads to the Furka pass, the steep road in the background leads to the Grimsel pass.
Gletsch and the Rhone Glacier as it was in the years 1890-1900 seen from Gletsch.
Author: Photoglob Company Zurich
The Rhone Glacier as it was in the years 1890-1900 seen from the road to the Furka pass.
Author: Photoglob Company Zurich