Aletsch Glacier – Walking on the Ice Giant

Aletsch Glacier - Walking on the Ice Giant Still a bit sleepy, we squint at the sun, laughing from an almost cloudless sky. We are standing on the Jungfraujoch at 3454 meters above sea level. It is the highest railway station in Europe and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland. 700,000 tourists visit this viewpoint every year. But we have other plans: We have booked the Aletsch Glacier hike and with mountain guides from Grindelwaldsports and will hike the next 2 days on the glacier through a silent world of ice and snow.

Day 1

Cozy Cabin Evening

In the late afternoon, we arrive at a steep metal staircase. 467 steps separate us from the Konkordia Hut at 2850 meters above sea level, where we will spend the night. Once at the top we will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the glacier. We slip into the comfortable slippers offered by the hut and move into our dormitory. The Konkordia Hut has been around since 1877. Today it is a modern, comfortable cabin serviced by a family with three children. We do not shower. It is offered for a surcharge, but since there is no fresh water up here, we want to minimize the scarce resources as little as possible.

After the delicious dinner, we sit on the terrace and watch as the setting sun turns the clouds pink. Not far from us, a cheeky groundhog steals food leftovers from the compost. Not much is spoken. In the midst of these mighty mountains, we are filled with a sense of calm and deepest contentment. Night falls and soon we retire into bed exhausted.

Day 2

Early start of the day

At 4.30am the alarm roused us from sleep. It is still a bit early for us, but the hearty breakfast brings us to life and a short time later we are saying goodbye to Konkordia Hut. At night, the water on the glacier is frozen so we strap on our crampons to safely move on the slippery surface. In the beginning we do not trust the iron and take a few careful steps. Quickly we realize that walking on the bare ice is really much easier now. Soon we march at the usual speed towards the valley. The Aletsch glacier is up to 1.5 kilometres wide at this point and we are not much more than five small, insignificant dots on a large sea of ice.

After 4.5 hours of hiking, we leave the glacier and climb up to the Märjelensee. We take a look back at the Ice Giant, where we experienced two unforgettable days. Then we walk across flowering alpine meadows to the Fiescheralp, from there we take the gondola back to the valley. Soon we are sitting in the train exchanging impressions of the hike. For all it's clear: the Aletsch glacier hike impresses from beginning to end by indescribable beauty. Probably because of the transience of the glacier, we recommend everyone to make this walk once in a lifetime!

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