Plaine Morte Glacier, Alpine glacier in Bernese Alps, Switzerland.
Plaine Morte Glacier covers roughly 8 square kilometers along the border between Bern and Valais cantons, forming a flat ice field on a high plateau. A prominent ice tongue called Rezligletscher flows down from this plateau into lower valley areas, where the ice slides along steep rock walls.
A legal dispute determined the border between cantons and assigned the territory to the Bernese municipality of Lenk. The ruling used the natural watershed as a permanent boundary line between the two administrative units.
Local herders once used the surrounding slopes as summer pasture for livestock before ice covered these areas. Today visitors walk trails formerly used by shepherds with their flocks, experiencing the visible transformation of the mountain environment firsthand.
Access begins with a cable car ride from Crans-Montana that brings visitors to roughly 2900 meters elevation. From there marked paths lead across the plateau, with solid footwear and warm clothing recommended due to altitude and often windy conditions.
A radar station positioned at the summit monitors weather patterns across the Swiss Alps since 2014. This technical equipment collects data on precipitation, cloud formation and atmospheric movements at this elevation.
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