Glacière de MonlésiGlacière de Monlési is an ice cave near Couvet in Val de Travers, Switzerland. In winter cold air enters the cave from a high-lying entrance and remains trapped there during summer. It contains a considerable amount of ice througout the year despite outside avarage annual air temperatures of around 5 degress Centigrade. |
![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eiszapfen_hoehle.jpg) Ice formation in the deepest part of the cave. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/schacht_eiszapfen.jpg) Water entering the cave from above has frozen. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eissaeulen.jpg) Ice columns in the central part of the cave. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eis_stalagmiten.jpg) Ice stalagmites near the cave entrance. |
![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/versteckt.jpg) The largest access pit is somewhat hidden between trees and bushes. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/tiefblick_schacht.jpg) Th ecave can be reached via a steep path and a ladder. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/schacht.jpg) At the bottom of the pit a lot of snow remains in July. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/hoehleneingang.jpg) On this hot summer day temperatures at the bottom of the pit are near freezing. |
![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/steigeisen.jpg) Near the entrance there is little room between the main ice body and the cave's ceiling. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/stalagmiten_unter_schacht.jpg) Water entering the cave from above freezes and forms ice stalactites and stalagmites. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eissaeule_seil.jpg) Between two cave openings. Note rock debris from the ceiling frozen into the ice. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eissaeule_mit_bruch.jpg) Flow of the big ice body has caused fracturing of the stalagmite (lower right). |
![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/grosser_stalagmit.jpg) Ice acculumation is by freezing water entering the cave. Cold air which enters the cave in winter remains trapped here in summer. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/stalagmit_bewundern.jpg) There is some heat flow from surrounding rock to the ice; the main ice body slowly melts from below and subsides forming a cavity above. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/eiszapfen.jpg) Near the cave openings some daylight illuminates the ice formations. Note colourful biogenic and mineral deposits on the cave's ceiling. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/grosse_eismasse.jpg) Melting of ice consumes latent heat, which cools the air above the ice. This maintains air temperatures near zero degrees centigrade withing the cave all through summer.
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![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/schacht_himmel.jpg) When one climbs out of the pit the air gets warmer very quickly! The effect is quite spectacular indeed. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/schema_sommer.jpg) Cross section of the cave system in summer. Contrary to what the drawing shows, the ice is up to 30m thick (explanatory display near the cave). | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/schema_winter.jpg) Cross section in winter. The ice mass is not a glacier in the strict sense as it is not formed by snow accumulation and has a surface are of less then 10'000 square metres. | ![Glacière de Monlési Glacière de Monlési](icons/wegweiser.jpg) Along the path to the cave. The entrance is at about 1100 m.a.s.l. |
Photos: Jürg Alean, June 16th, 2012 |