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The Ober Aletsch glacier which many years ago joined the Aletsch faces SE and the effects of global warming are being felt more dramatically here I think, than in any other place I have ever visited. I have made the spectacular walk from Belalp to the Ober Aletsch hut at least five times starting in 2009 and the changes over those nine years are quite unbelievable.
Photos are taken from different years
Map of routeStarting from Blatten just a few km from Brig you take a lift to the new ski village of Belalp
Monte Leone (3553m) from Blatten - the shape of the mountain bears some resemblance to the lions in Trafalgar SquareBelalp from the lift - you walk thru the village for about 1 km to the Belalp hotel where you look straight up the Aletsch glacierThe glacier once reached right down into the Rhone valleyZoomed viewBelalp churchFrom the hotel grounds - the Ober Aletsch is the obvious gash on the L: the walk really starts from here with a short flat section and then a steep descent to the path traversing across to it This type of descent path to move stock up and down is quite common all over the mountainous areas of EuropeVarious views along the track and back towards the hotelThe lake is called the Stausee Gibidum The glacier occupies the obvious gapYou start to leave the pastoral scene and enter an area of white granite boulders - part of an old terminal morainelooking back from a point where the track reaches a ridge. beyond this point there is a sudden quite dramatic change in the scenery The path turns NW and ......descends to a suspension bridge above the torrentThe "old" route to the hut ascended the moraine-covered glacier from here, but became much too difficult for most travellersViews of the bridgeAnd of the water below - in different yearsLooking upLooking back - a track cut into the rock gets you down and up the other sideA nice specimen of Saxifraga paniculata - white mountain saxifrage growing in the shadeOnce out of the gorge, the path heads up and R to an old lateral moraine: Looking up from near the foot of thisclimbing the lateral moraineA path heads off R - I guess it would take you eventually to Bettmeralp but you would need to cross the dry Aletsch glacier2009: Looking down the lateral moraine; Donna and daughter Rachel accompanied me on that occasionEventually the moraine finishes at a relatively flat green area; looking South I am not familiar with the peaks in the distanceLooking on up the glacier from around the same point in 2009 and in 2018Where on earth to now Another view up from a bit higherThere just seem to be rocks above ... butThe eagle eye detects a signpost high above Looking back down to the top of the moraine: from here it's a steep zig-zag climb up to the signpost.
When you reach it you are at the start of the "Panorama weg" and about level with the hut - but still well over an hour and a half from it. Depending upon your fitness and altitude acclimatisation what follows is either a pleasant undulating track with stunning views - or a gruelling series of ups and downs There are no difficulties but you need a good "head for heights"Views on the Panorama weg - some looking forward some back2009 - The glacier branches just beyond the hut: the peak on the L is the 3822m Nesthorn and at the back of the LH branch the Beich pass leads over into the Lötchental: The RH branch heads up to the foot of the Aletschhorn2018 was a particularly heavy snow winter and this stream stems from a snowfield high above: I'm not sure there is always water available anywhere on this section this late in the SummerThese granite towers are the Fusshorngrat: there is a lot of rock-clmbing here and a bivouac hut that I've never visitedfinally one arrives at the Ober Aletsch hut. The standard time from Belalp is 4 hours, but these days I take a lot longer 2009The Ober Aletsch is the starting point for the "standard" route on the Aletschhorn - one that is getting steadily longer and more difficult, but the first time I stayed here in July 2009 was to climb some of the excellent granite
peaks with my guide Steve and these next photos are all taken on that trip
Looking across the RH arm of the glacier. The peak on the L is the 3023m Torberg, and on the R the 3127m DistelbergWe started on an easy route up the Torberg reached up a very unstable boulder field and later did a much longer and better route on the Distelberg, which we reached by descending to the glacier, crossing it, climbing a rather "iffy" via ferrata opposite and traversing R to the start of our climb. I'm told that this approach is no longer possible
Looking down the glacier from the summit of the TorbergEarly morning sun on the Distelberg - the route goes just R of the sun/shade lineLooking up the climb from the start - it was about HVS, very well equipped and with a good abseil descentRanunculs montanus - Mountain buttercup - amongst the bouldersFrom the foot of the Distelberg looking back across the glacier to the hutThe Aletschhorn from the same point2018The weather was clear and sunny when I arrived .
Evening sun on the Aletschhorn - note the difference in the amount of snow compared to the picture aboveIn 2009 there was a sign on the rocks well above the glacier saying "the glacier was here in 2004" and in the morning I wanted to go down the long series of ladders - at least five more than then - and photograph it. I took photos both on the way down and back up. There is a continuous wire leading down and wearing a harness in the dark of the early morning I guess you would clip to it - but ladders are easy if you take your time, the only difficulty being getting on to the top when descending.
Distelberg from the start of the descentThere is a good path to start withThe sun is not quite up at 8.00am in AugustBut it's shining on the Nesthorn4 down, but still 5 ladders to go: however, the state of the glacier below didn't look at all inviting and as I would have had to traverse 300-500m L to see my "notice" - (the descent had been completely changed since 2009) I decided to give it a miss Sun just coming up - but the vertical sides above the glacier floor have nearly doubled since our climbsomeone has a sense of humour more sections of the path on the way upBack at the hutPanorama weg photos on the way back - in different light Up to the Beich pass Zoomed view - it does look possible to descend from itA 2009 photo of the the FusshorngratAnother 2009 photoThe Belalp hotel comes into sight and mountains which were not visible the day before: on the L the Saas peaks are all behind each other: on the R the Zermatt peaksZoomed - Monte Rosa on the L the Michabel on the RFinally the Matterhorn and the Weisshorn come briefly into sight: but as you descend, they soon drop down below the horizonThere is a spectacular hanging bridge over the main Aletsch gorge: I wandered down pleasant grassy slopes but lost my way and eventually took a path down thru the woods back to Blatten and the carHangbrucke - stock photo: I have been over it in the past but without a cameraA final photo from a viewpoint beside the path