Oberaletsch Glacier

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The Oberaletsch Glacier (German: Oberaletschgletscher, meaning Upper Aletsch Glacier) is a valley glacier on the south side of the Bernese Alps, in the canton of Valais. It has a length of 9 km with an average width of just under 1 km and an area of about 22 km².

The Oberaletsch Glacier system consists of two approximately equal arms. The eastern one takes its starting point on the south western flank of the Aletschhorn at around 3700 m above sea level, and joins the western arm (Beichgletscher) in the valley at the foot of the Nesthorn. Then the glacier flows to the south-east toward the Aletsch Glacier without reaching it. The glacier tongue ends at around 2150 m above sea level. During the Little Ice Age in the middle of the 19th century the glacier was part of the Aletsch Glacier.

The Swiss Alpine Club Oberaletschhütte at 2640 m above sea level, above the jonction ot the two glacier arms is accessible since 2005 to hikers with a new trail from Belalp.

The area of the Oberaletsch Glacier, along with the Aletsch Glacier was declared in December 2001 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.