Géant Glacier

The Géant Glacier (French: Glacier du Géant) is a large glacier on the French side of the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps. It is the main supplier of ice (via the Vallée Blanche) to the Mer de Glace which flows down towards Montenvers. It gets its name from the nearby Dent du Géant.

View looking over the Géant Glacier. The tracks of climbers wend their way between enormous crevasses. Mont Blanc (centre), Tour Ronde (left). July 2010
Coordinates45°51′30″N 06°55′00″E
Géant Glacier, Gros Rognon, Dent du Géant and Aiguilles Marbrées seen from Aiguille du Midi, France.

Access

It is possible to take the Vallée Blanche Cable Car which travels right over the Géant Glacier, from the Aiguille du Midi in France, to Pointe Helbronner on the Italian/French border.[1] Experienced skiers also have an "outstanding attraction" in the challenging run from the Aiguille du Midi telepherique station, down the Vallée Blanche and onto the Géant Glacier then, avoiding the Seracs du Géant, merging onto the Mer du Glace to reach the resort of Montenvers[2]

Early studies

In 1862, the physicist and mountaineer John Tyndall gave a series of lectures to the Royal Institution in which he reported on his studies into heat as a form of motion. By placing lines of stakes upon the ice, he made numerous measurements of ice flow from the Géant Glacier and surrounding glaciers into the Mer de Glace.[3] He subsequently published further accounts in his 'Glaciers of the Alps.

1857 sketchmap by John Tyndall, showing the Geant and other glaciers merging into the Mer de Glace

Further reading
  • Tyndall, J. (1860?) Glaciers of the Alps

References
  1. Lieberman, Marcia (1991). The Outdoor Traveler's Guide: the Alps. Thompson, Tim. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. pp. 68-69. ISBN 1556701772. OCLC 23386544.
  2. Dumler, Helmut (1993). The High Mountains of the Alps. Burkhardt, Willi P. (Willi Paul), 1922-. London: Diadem. p. 165. ISBN 0906371430. OCLC 29668950.
  3. Tyndall, John (2014). Heat Considered as a Mode of Motion: being a course of 12 lectures delivered at the Royal Institution in the season of 1862. Cambridge University Press. p. 195. ISBN 9781108068901.


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