Giétro Glacier

Geschichte

The Giétro Glacier or Giétroz Glacier is a 4 km long valley glacier located in south-western Switzerland. The 1818 Giétro Glacier catastrophe, which led to lake outburst flood, is one of the most famous and most disastrous historical cases in the Swiss Alps.DescriptionThe Giétro Glacier lies on the northern side of the Pennine Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is located in the upper Bagnes Valley, south of Martigny and Verbier. The length of the glacier is 4.55 km (1979) and its area is 5.85 km2 (1979).The glacier is fed by the snows of Mont Blanc de Cheilon (3,870 m) and La Ruinette (3,875 m). On the upper part, the glacier is relatively flat. It descends to the north on the side of Mont Rouge du Giétro and then curves to the west between Le Pleureur and Mont Rouge. On the lower part, the glacier reaches a steepness of 40% forming a large number of crevasses. The terminus is located at about 2,600 metres. Part of the glacier is linked to the Cheilon Glacier through the Col du Cheilon (3,243 m). The water generated by the glacier ends in the Lake Mauvoisin (artificial lake) and then reaches the Dranse de Bagnes, a tributary of the Rhone.