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By: Simon Oberli, Photographer
   
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Before/after comparison photo of Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps)

Height: 2210 - 3600m
Location: Gletsch, Valais, Switzerland Show glacier on: Swiss map... GLAMOS...
The Rhone Glacier (Italiano: Ghiacciaio del Rodano, Spanish: Glaciar del Ródano, German: Rhonegletscher) is located in the headwaters of the Rhone at the top of Obergoms (Wallis, Switzerland). From the Hotel Belvedere, located at the Furka Pass, the Rhone Glacier is within walking distance.
The picture comparisons below show how fast the Rhone glacier has lost its length and mass in recent years.
 C   Location 1        Updated : 07.01.2022
Height: 2210m   Viewing angle: 148°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNW (346°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 5128 days (= 14.05 years)
28.06.2007: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 1
12.07.2021: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 1
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
One person can be seen in each of the 2017 and 2018 images as a size comparison.
 C   Location 14       Inserted / Updated : 02.01.2022 / 15.07.2024
Height: 2230m   Viewing angle: 165°   Viewing direction center of photo: N
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 5485 days (= 15.03 years)
30.06.2008: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 14
07.07.2023: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 14
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
30.06.2008: The proglacial lake begins to form.
It's incredible the masses of ice that have melted in just over a decade.
 C   Location 4        Updated : 22.12.2024
Height: 2275m   Viewing angle: 144°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNW (337°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 5460 days (= 14.96 years)
17.08.2009: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 4
29.07.2024: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 4
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
These repeat photos show the Rhone Glacier and the proglacial lake in overview.
 C   Location 2        Updated : 20.06.2025
Height: 2210m   Viewing angle: 280°   Viewing direction center of photo: NW
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 5873 days (= 16.09 years)
30.06.2008: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 2
29.07.2024: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 2
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
The panorama photos from 2008 to 2015 were taken from slightly different locations. Offset lateral 3-4m, height 1-2m.
 C   Location 3        Updated : 24.02.2025
Height: 2215m   Viewing angle: 180°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNW (345°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 4809 days (= 13.18 years)
30.05.2011: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 3
29.07.2024: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 3
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
The oldest panoramic photo (30.5.2011) was taken from a location 2-3m further south than the rest of the photo. Reason: The site, which has been in use since 27.9.2011, was barely covered with ice on 30.5.2011.
The accuracy of these repeat photos is not very good.
 C   Location 6       Inserted / Updated : 27.06.2017 / 22.05.2024
Height: 2227m   Viewing angle: 140°   Viewing direction center of photo: N (5°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 2554 days (= 7.00 years)
09.07.2016: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 6
07.07.2023: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 6
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
On the photo from June 2017 a person is to be seen in front of the glacier as a size comparison.
 C   Location 7       Inserted / Updated : 26.06.2017 / 12.11.2023
Height: 2222m   Viewing angle: 161°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNE (16°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 2554 days (= 7.00 years)
09.07.2016: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 7
07.07.2023: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 7
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
The distance between the place where the image was taken and the glacial polish on the other side of the lake is approx. 260m (measured on map.admin.ch).
 C   Location 8       Inserted / Updated : 27.12.2022 / 30.04.2025
Viewing angle: 210°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNE (30°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 2223 days (= 6.09 years)
28.06.2018: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 8
29.07.2024: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 8
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
The photo point was covered by the ice of the Rhone Glacier until 2017.
 C   Location 11       Inserted / Updated : 09.07.2020 / 09.10.2023
Height: 2295m   Viewing angle: 133°   Viewing direction center of photo: NE (55°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 5140 days (= 14.08 years)
30.08.2009: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 11
26.09.2023: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 11
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
View from the western moraine to the tongue of Rhonegletscher and the proglacial lake.
 C   Location 10       Inserted / Updated : 30.12.2021 / 10.09.2025
Height: 2386m   Viewing angle: 132°   Viewing direction center of photo: NNW (327°)
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 2197 days (= 6.02 years)
05.07.2019: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 10
10.07.2025: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 10
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
05.07.2019: The covers, which are about a year old, are still white and show no cracks.
After a snowy winter, the landscape is still partly covered with snow.
These repeat photos show an overview of the proglacial lake and the Rhone glacier.
 C   Location 16       Inserted / Updated : 12.07.2023 / 20.08.2025
These repeat photos show the whole Rhone glacier. They can be used to assess the snow cover.
Compare the situation from with that from (<<< select date)  Period of time: 1135 days (= 3.11 years)
09.07.2022: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 16
17.08.2025: Rhone glacier (Valais, Swiss Alps), Location 16
The terms of use for these repeat photos can be found here... Direct link...
17.08.2025: Between the photos taken on 10 and 17 August 2025, there was a heatwave of levels 3 and 4 (depending on the region). When comparing these two photos, the effects of the heatwave on the size of the snow-free area of the Rhone Glacier can be seen.
Note also how much the Rhone Glacier has lost in thickness since July 2022.
Distance from the location of the photograph to the glacier lake in front of the Rhone Glacier: approximately 20 km.
Winter 2021/2022: Not very snowy
Winter 2022/2023: Not very snowy
Winter 2023/2024: Snowy (with Saharan dust)
Winter 2024/2025: Not very snowy
 O   Overview Rhone glacier
Overview photo of the Rhone glacier. Location 1Location 2Location 3Location 4Location 6Location 7Location 11Location 8
Photo from 28.6.2018
Horizontal distance Point 1 -> Point 7: approx. 210m
 P   Interactive panoramic photos of the Rhone glacier
After clicking on a preview photo, the panorama photo is displayed in a new window.
05.07.2019
Rhone glacier and glacial lake on 5.7.2019
FlatSphericalInfo
Inserted: 19.07.2019
Rhone glacier and proglacial lake on 5.9.2019
FlatSphericalInfo
Inserted: 11.11.2019

 O   Our observations at the Rhone glacier
Date:    5.7.2019   10.7.2020   8.7.2022   7.7.2023   26.9.2023   29.7.2024   10.7.2025
 M   Current meteo and climatic data for the Rhone glacier.
The meteorological/climate data from the MeteoSwiss measuring stations closest to the Rhone glacier have been available since December 2023. You can call up the daily and monthly values for temperature (incl. min/max values), precipitation and sunshine duration, a comparison with the climate standard values and exceptional weather events. Links to the nearest snow depth measuring stations on the Rhone glacier round off the offer.
Show meteo and climate data for Rhone glacier: Daily data  Show meteo and climate data for Rhone glacier: Monthly data

The image comparisons of this page were created with the software Before/After images.
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