❄️ Headwaters Rhône River — Rhône Glacier
Alpine glacier source of a major European river in the Swiss Valais
📌 Fast Facts
- Elevation: 2,208 metres in the Swiss Alps, Valais canton
- River length: Rhône flows 813 kilometres to the Mediterranean Sea
- Glacier retreat: Documented significant loss over the past decade
- Access: Reachable via Grimsel Pass; ice grotto tunnel open seasonally
The Rhône Glacier is a large alpine glacier in Switzerland's Valais canton that feeds the Rhône River, one of Europe's major waterways. Situated at approximately 2,208 metres elevation in the Swiss Alps, meltwater from this glacier initiates the Rhône, which grows from a small alpine stream into an 813-kilometre river flowing through Switzerland and France before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. As of 2026, the glacier continues to serve as the primary hydrological source for the Rhône system ...