Aletsch

Aletsch, the largest glacier (12½ miles long) in Europe, sweeps round the southern side of the Jungfrau. Following the valley in a majestic curve, it is distinguished by the title Great Aletsch from its two tributary glaciers, the Upper and Middle Aletsch, which branch off to the north-west. At its eastern extremity lies a deep-blue mountain lake, the Merjelen-See (7711 feet), into which huge blocks of detached ice frequently fall. To the NW. lies the Aletschhorn (13,773 feet), the second highest peak in the Bernese Alps, which was first ascended by Mr Tuckett in 1859.