Aletsch Glacier ice loss reported on 22 September 2026

Aletsch Glacier and the Grosse Aletschgletscher were at the centre of a report published on 22 September 2026, after new observations documented continued ice loss in Switzerland. The report places the latest measurements in the landscape seen from the Fiesch side of the Aletsch Arena.

Six metres of ice disappear at Konkordiaplatz in 2026

Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported on 22 September 2026 on photographer Kurt Steiner’s long-term record of change around the glacier. Steiner has visited the region more than 120 times and has used GPS coordinates since 2020 to make comparison images, the report said.

At Konkordiaplatz, in the central part of the ice stream, the surface was nearly six metres lower after summer 2026 than before the melt season. The measurement concerns one monitoring point, not an even loss across the whole glacier. Bluewin’s measurement report also records comparable losses at the same point in earlier years, including 4.7 metres in 2023 and 4.6 metres in 2025.

The report’s news value is the contrast between a familiar visitor panorama and a precisely recorded change in the ice. It also separates the observation from a claim that six metres have vanished across every part of the glacier.

Aletsch Glacier’s scale puts the measurement in context

The glacier is about 20 kilometres long, covers 79 square kilometres and is the largest glacier in the Alps, according to the Aletsch Arena’s information on the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site. It is part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage site.

Konkordiaplatz gives the latest figure a specific physical setting. The operator describes the ice there as reaching about 800 metres in thickness, while several large ice streams meet in the central area. From the Valais side, the established viewing points are Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn, linking the September 2026 report to places used to observe the glacier rather than to an abstract climate statistic.

SRF’s 22 September 2026 report also described the glacier’s retreat through Steiner’s photographs. A 2024 comparison placed its length at just over 22.2 kilometres, while the report said the glacier can lose up to 50 metres of length in a year.

Visiting Aletsch Glacier: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The current news peg is the SRF report published on 22 September 2026, which documents summer 2026 ice loss at Konkordiaplatz.
• On 26 September 2026, the Aletsch Arena status page listed the Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn viewpoints as open. From 15 September 2026, the Eggishorn viewpoint was not accessible to wheelchair users, people with walking disabilities or pushchairs because of restricted operation.
• The Aletsch Arena is reached from the Valais side through Fiesch-Eggishorn, Riederalp and Bettmeralp. Switzerland Tourism identifies gondola and cable-car access to the Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn viewpoints.
• The glacier itself is not a casual walking surface: Switzerland Tourism states that hikes across the ice are permitted only with a guide. The surrounding viewpoints and panoramic routes provide the principal visitor access.
• Switzerland’s official languages are German, French, Italian and Romansh, and the national currency is the Swiss franc.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Aletsch Glacier

What happened at Aletsch Glacier in 2026?

A report published on 22 September 2026 documented a nearly six-metre drop in the ice surface at a measuring point on Konkordiaplatz during summer 2026.

Where is Aletsch Glacier and how do you get there?

The glacier lies in south-western Switzerland and can be viewed from the Aletsch Arena around Fiesch-Eggishorn, Riederalp and Bettmeralp.

What is Aletsch Glacier?

It is the largest glacier in the Alps, about 20 kilometres long and part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage site.