Plateau Rosa, Glacier at Plateau Rosa in Valais, Switzerland

Plateau Rosa is a glacier plateau at about 3,500 metres in the Swiss Valais, part of the Theodul Glacier. It lies between Testa Grigia (3,479 m) and the Klein Matterhorn, just above the Theodul Pass, with the Breithorn and Gobba di Rollin nearby. The photograph shows a broad snow slope with red marker poles and a cluster of red and dark objects on the ice.

Since the 1980s, several lakes formed at the bottom of the Upper Theodul Glacier, including Theodulgletschersee covering 7.76 hectares at 2,851 meters (9,350 feet). These lakes appeared as glacier ice melted and reshaped the landscape at the edge of the high plateaus.

The name comes from the Valdôtain patois word rosà, meaning frozen or icy, the same root as Monte Rosa (Rouésa, ice). The glacier lies within the Matterhorn Ski Paradise, and an international ski pass is needed to use the lifts that cross it. Near the Klein Matterhorn cable car station, the Ice Palace consists of caves dug 15 metres into the ice, with snow sculptures and panels on glaciology.

Cable cars from Breuil-Cervinia on the Italian side bring visitors up to Testa Grigia, where 21 kilometers (13 miles) of prepared slopes remain accessible year-round. The elevation requires warm clothing and sun protection even in summer, as temperatures on the glacier often stay below freezing.

The glacier forms part of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, one of the highest ski areas in Europe, linked by lift systems to the Italian resort of Cervinia. Skiers can cross between both countries without border controls and ski in two nations at once on the same ice field.