(its largest tongue: german: Rezligletscher) , photo = Plaine Morte.jpg , photo_caption =

Wildstrubel The Wildstrubel () is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the border between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais. It forms a large glaciated massif, about 15 km wide, extending between the Rawil Pass and the Gemmi Pass. Along with the Muvera ...

and glacier , type = horizontal ice field , location =

Lenk Lenk im Simmental (or simply Lenk) is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. History Lenk is first mentioned in 1370 as ''An der Leng''. The oldest traces of a settlement in th ...

, BE (

Crans-Montana Crans-Montana is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne merged to form the new municipality of Crans-Montana. ...

, VS),

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, coords = , area = (1973) , length = (2016) , thickness = , elevation_max = , elevation_min = , terminus = Trüebbach (

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

), La Tièche (

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

) , status = diminishing The Plaine Morte Glacier (lit.: Dead Plain Glacier; french: glacier de la Plaine Morte) is a

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

located at an elevation of , in the

canton of Bern The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...

above

and in the

Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...

above

. The

ice field An ice field (also spelled icefield) is a mass of interconnected valley glaciers (also called mountain glaciers or alpine glaciers) on a mountain mass with protruding rock ridges or summits. They are often found in the colder climates and highe ...

, which covers , is located below the mountain of

in the Bernese

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

. Its largest tongue is also called in German ''Rezligletscher'' or ''Rätzligletscher''. The area of ''Plaine Morte'' is easily accessible from Crans-Montana by cable car and the practice of

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

is possible throughout the year. The summit of the Pointe de la Plaine Morte offers impressive views of the

Valais Alps The Pennine Alps (german: Walliser Alpen, french: Alpes valaisannes, it, Alpi Pennine, la, Alpes Poeninae), also known as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais) and Italy ...

. A large lake formed at the eastern base of the glacier, south of the

Schneehorn The Schneehorn is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located on the border in Canton of Bern. It lies nord of the Jungfrau. There is an other mountain with the same name near the Wildstrubel (VS/BE). References External links Schneehorn on Hikr< ...

, at a height of 2,752 metres above sea level. The surface area of the lake is 0.11 km².

Panorama

Implications of climate change on Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland

References

Tourist attractions in Switzerland Glaciers of the Alps Glaciers of Valais Glaciers of the canton of Bern GPlaineMorte {{Valais-glacier-stub

Panorama

See also

References