| Trift Glacier | |
|---|---|
| Triftgletscher | |
 Trift Glacier in September 2007 | |
  Trift Glacier Location in Switzerland | |
| Location | Canton of Bern, Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 46°39′40″N8°22′40″E / 46.66111°N 8.37778°E |
| Length | 5.4 km (2016) |
The Trift Glacier (German : Triftgletscher) is a valley glacier near Gadmen, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. [1]
The Trift Glacier is a northwest-facing valley glacier in the canton of Bern. [1] In 2016 it covered an area of 14.5 km² and extended 5.4 km in length, with its elevation ranging from 3386 m down to about 2120 m above sea level. [1] The upper part lies in a basin about 3 km wide, narrowing below 2700 m where steep slopes lead to the formation of large séracs. At about 2400 m it receives a tributary separated by the Triftstöckli, before descending a 35° rock step toward the basin that formerly held its tongue. [1]
Until the 1990s the glacier terminus remained stable at the base of this basin near 1652 m elevation. [1] Length-change records show that from 1861 to 1929 the glacier advanced by about 1200 m, followed by a sustained retreat. [2] A proglacial lake began to form in 1998, and during the hot summer of 2003 the glacier retreated by 136 m in a single year. [1] [2] The lower section detached in 2012 and has since melted away. [1] By 2016 the cumulative retreat had reached about 3900 m, [2] and by 2023 the total was 4383 m since systematic measurements began in 1861. [1]
The Trifthütte, a mountain hut of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), was once reached by crossing the Trift Glacier tongue. As the glacier receded, this route became impassable, and in 2004 a suspension footbridge was built to restore access. [3] [4] Modelled on Nepalese designs, it spans a lake formed by the meltwater of the Trift Glacier. [3] [4] The bridge, 100 metres high and 170 metres long, is among the longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges in the Alps. [4]
