Aletsch Glacier Hike

A personal account by Annelies Knecht

Day 1

Crampons strapped on, rope team formed – and off we go. We leave the Jungfraujoch behind and start moving across the Jungfraufirn. I quickly get comfortable with the equipment and let myself be swept up by the experience unfolding around me.

Above me, the deep blue sky; in front of me, the largest and longest glacier in the Alps; all around me, mountains, ice, and snow. It’s clear that two incredible days lie ahead. Absorbing the scenery, we cross various crevasses and reach the Konkordiaplatz, and thus the Aletsch Glacier.

At the level of the impressive Ewigschneefeld, we hike along the moraine, where our path continues between glacier crevasses and streams. The furrows and cracks, the glacier tables, the depths, the blues, the variety of stones – the alpine world has completely captivated me.

Back on solid ground – that is, without crampons and rope – we cross a section of rocks and boulders before the final stretch: some steps and ladders up to the Konkordia Hut. The delicious dinner was well earned, and the view from the hut was reward enough.

Day 2

The night sky full of stars, the morning silence, the awakening of the day – moods that touch the soul. Surefootedness is required for the exciting descent from the Konkordia Hut back to the glacier.

Roped up again, we hike across the ice masses. By the time the warming sun reaches us, we’ve already covered a good distance. We keep to the left, where we will eventually leave the glacier. What follows is, for me, the most impressive part of the tour.

Down here, the ice is "alive." It rises in mounds, wide and deep crevasses open up, narrow ridges appear, and the path is no longer easy to make out.

I’m Annelies Knecht from Grindelwald. As someone who’s not particularly athletic, I had my doubts before the tour, but I prepared well. And I’m truly glad I was able to overcome the couch potato in me. It was indescribable.

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