Measuring snowpack in a crevasse on the Easton Glacier, North Cascades, USA
A crevasse is a crack or fissure in a glacier or snow field. The cracks are formed due to changes in glacier speed. An acceleration in glacier speed will cause extension and formation of a crevasse. Transverse crevasses are the most common crevasse type, they form in a zone of extension where the glacier is accelerating as it moves downslope and stretch across the glacier. This happens most commonly where slope increases. Marginal crevasses extend diagonally from the edge of the glacier pointing upglacier. These form because glaciers move slower down the sides than in the center because of the friction between the ice and walls of the mountain. These crevasses form due to the increased speed of the glacier near its center compared to the margin. Longitudinal crevasses form parallel to flow in an area where the glacier width is expanding. Crevasses open up with vertical walls. With time in areas of melting the walls can melt out creating seracs, arches etc. A special variant of a crevasse is a bergschrund which often marks the top border of a glacier and divides the moving glacier from the static ice, frozen to the steep surrounding walls. A bergschrund extends to bedrock. Crevasses in the accumulation zone also expose the stratigraphy of snowpack, each year separated by a dirty-icy horizon. They can be read much like tree rings. In the picture at right individual storm layers are even visible on the crevasse wall. Image File history File linksMetadata Glaciercrevasse. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Glaciercrevasse. ... Aletsch glacier, Switzerland A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... Bergschrund at the Schnapfenspitze, Austria A Bergschrund (also called rimaye) is a crevasse positioned at the rear of a corrie next to the steep back wall. ...
At the surface a crevasse can be covered by the most recent year's snow, creating a snow bridge that is hard to detect. Falling into a hidden crevasse (for example, one hidden by a layer of blown snow) is a mountaineer's worst nightmare. Falling into a visible crevasse is usually the result of an error in judgement. Anyone planning on walking on glaciers should be trained in crevasse rescue. Crevasse rescue is the process of retrieving a climber from a crevasse in a glacier. ...
Crossing a crevasse on the Easton Glacier, North Cascades, USA
Image File history File linksMetadata Glaciereaston. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Glaciereaston. ...
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 5th edition. ISBN 0-89886-309-0 Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... 7th edition cover Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is often considered the standard textbook for mountaineering and climbing. ...
Mountaineering and Crevasse in Calgary, Banff, and Kananaskis Alberta and British Columbia (BC), Canada
In this 3-day comprehensive introduction to general mountaineering, you'll learn the basic techniques of moving on snow and ice plus an understanding of safe glacier travel and crevasse rescue.
Prior experience is not needed, just a sense of adventure and lots of enthusiasm as you learn snow and ice climbing, crevasse rescue, glacier travel, route finding, navigation and much more.
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