Glacier du Taillon, Glacier near Gavarnie, France
The Glacier du Taillon is a small cirque glacier on the north side of the Cirque de Gavarnie, high in the French Pyrénées. It sits between the Taillon peak and a rocky point known as Bazillac, and appears from below as a broad white surface tucked under tall cliffs.
During the Little Ice Age, the glacier was much larger and extended close to a mountain pass called the Fausse Brèche. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been retreating steadily, and today only a thin layer of ice remains compared to what once covered this part of the mountain.
The Glacier du Taillon has split into three separate parts that once formed a single mass of ice, a change visitors can observe directly from the hiking trail. Standing there, you get a clear picture of how a high mountain glacier can change shape over a human lifetime.
The glacier is reached via the trail toward the Brèche de Roland, starting from Gavarnie. The route passes through high mountain terrain, so solid footwear and attention to weather conditions are essential before heading out.
The meltwater from the Glacier du Taillon carries fine particles of rock down into the valley, feeding the Gavarnie river and giving it a cloudy appearance. Even as the glacier shrinks, its runoff continues to actively shape the landscape of the valley below.
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