Inside the belly of a Swiss ice giant

Swiss glaciers are melting like never before – in 2022 they lost 6% of their volume. Every year glacial meltwater from the Plaine-Morte glacier threatens the village of Lenk in the Bernese Oberland.

This 2021 documentary by Swiss public television, SRF, goes on a breath-taking scientific journey deep inside the Plaine-Morte glacier to better understand the meltwater flows and how experts and local communities are trying to control them.

With a team of mountain guides and ice cave experts, the SRF “Einstein” team abseiled 100 metres into the glacier’s labyrinthine cave system. SRF presenter Tobias Müller retraces the icy flows through channels and huge caves beneath the thick ice.

“This is some of the craziest stuff I’ve ever done,” says Müller.

The climate crisis is causing Swiss glaciers to melt fast; 2022 was a “disastrous” year. Glaciers in the Swiss Alps lost around three cubic kilometres of ice, which represents more than 6% of their volume, the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) reportedExternal link on September 28. Previously, an annual ice volume loss of 2% was defined as “extreme”.

When massive ice fields retreat, they often leave depressions and natural dams in the exposed landscape. Meltwater fills the basis, forming new glacial lakes. They can also lead to dangerous flooding.

In 2018 a glacial lake burst its banks, resulting in flooding in the mountain village of Lenk and millions of francs worth of damage. In the valley, protective structures and channels have since been built, and an early-warning system has been installed – all at great expense. How well does this system work? Can technology really control nature? And at what cost?