Findel Glacier

The Findel Glacier (also Findeln and Findelen called ) is a valley glacier in the Monte Rosa massif east of Zermatt, in the south of the canton of Valais. The glacier with pronounced tongue was about 7.3 km long in 2010 in an area of ​​little more than 13 km ². Since the 1970s he has been interrupted by a foray in the eighties of the last century, more withdrawn than half a kilometer. The western exposed glacier ranges from 3'911 m above sea level. M. at about 2,550 m above sea level. M. down, its average slope is given as 18 % (10 °). About the snowfield of the Schwarzenberg white gate it is connected to the black mountain glaciers.

His starting point takes the Cima di Jazzi at the Findel Glacier ( 3'803 m above sea level. M. ) in Weissgrat, a continuously glaciated part of the border ridge between Itealien and Switzerland. In the northern area of the Nährgebiets is a not connected directly with the other ice part of the glacier, which is, however, counted the accumulation area of the Findel and reaches a maximum height of about 3,900 m. The glacier flows with fairly uniform slope to the west along the southern foot of Strahlhorn ( 4,190 m above sea level. M. ) and Rimpfischhorn ( 4'199 m above sea level. M. ) flanked to the south by Stockhornstrasse ( 3'532 m above sea level. M. ). The glacier feeds the Findelbach, which joins the valley of Zermatt with the Gornera and the Zmuttbach the Matter Vispa and flows through the Matter of Rhone.

Since the high stage of the Little Ice Age, the mid-19th century, the Findel Glacier has retreated more than 2.5 km. Back then handed the glacier tongue up to 2,100 meters down and was below the tree line near the Alpweiler Findeln. The connection with the 3 km long glacier Adler, a slope glacier between Rimpfischhorn and Strahlhorn is interrupted today.