The Rhone Glacier, largely free of snow up to 2,600 metres above sea level on 10 July 2025.
Section of the Rhone Glacier changing direction at approx. 2,600 metres above sea level on 10 July 2025.
Eastern part of the proglacial glacial lake on 10 July 2025.
Western part of the proglacial glacial lake on 10 July 2025.
Rhone Glacier: Transition from lake to glacier on 10 July 2025.
Legend:
1) Glacier snout
2) Glacier ice covered with tiles. It is questionable whether an ice cave can be built here.
3) The end of the glacier currently runs flat into the glacier lake. The ice is melting beneath the surface of the water, creating an overhang. It is only a matter of time before pieces of ice break off and float on the lake as ice floes. A wall of ice several metres high may form.
Rhone Glacier: Situation around the glacier gate on 10 July 2025.
Legend:
1) Glacier snout
2 - 4) The circular crevasses indicate the formation of further collapse funnels. The collapse funnels may open as early as this year.
Rhone Glacier: Glacier snout on 10 July 2025.
The glacier snout is currently easily accessible. The large pieces of ice lying around testify to the speed at which the glacier snout is changing. It is to be hoped that visitors to the glacier snout are aware of this and do not put themselves in grave danger for the sake of a supposedly ultimate photo or video.
The ice floes shown below are covered with a lot of sand. On
29.07.2024, there was an area covered with a lot of sand in front of the glacier. The ice floes shown below are likely to be the remains of this area.
Ice floes covered with sand on 10 July 2025.
Side view of an ice floe covered with sand on 10 July 2025.
The side view clearly shows that the ice near the water's surface melted faster than the surface covered by sand. We couldn't tell if the ice floes were floating or if some of them were resting on the bottom.
Detail from the photo above.
Ice cave on 10 July 2025.
Since 2022, the ice grotto has been located entirely within the remaining ice that does not lie above the lake. Thanks to the covers, the grotto has been able to remain open until now.
Deposits from a small debris flow on the Rhone Glacier on 10 July 2025.
At the end of July 2024, the deposit was not yet present.
Outflow of the Rhone Glacier on 10 July 2025.
Due to the cooler temperatures of the previous days, the discharge volumes were slightly lower than in previous years.
Temperatures:
Temperatures in the Belvedere area (approx. 2280 m above sea level):
- 4° at 8 o'clock.
- approx. 14° at 12 noon.
Zero degree limit: 3500 metres above sea level (forecast by MeteoSchweiz)
Over the previous seven days, the zero degree line lay between 2300 and 4100 metres above sea level, averaging 3350 metres above sea level.