Vadret Pers

Panorama overview from Diavolezza (2015), accessible by cable car. The area from where most photos of this page are from is highlighted. On the left Vadret Pers flows towards the north; in the foreground it turns left and flows towards the West in the righhand side of the panorama.

Looking upglacier (SE) on one of the medial moraines of Vadret Pers (1996). On the right (south) side of the medial moraine, boulder sorting is evident. Ice tails and several glacier tables are visible, the biggest also appearing in three more photos lower down.

Looking downglacier, towards WNW, on the same medial moraine as in the previous photo. boulder sorting is now evident on the left (S) side of the moraine, but not on the right, i.e. the N side (2007).

Panorama view in the upper part of the same medial moraine as in the previous two photos, looking S, upglacier. Note that the wide angle means that the view is almost to the E on the left, and W on the right. boulders on the far left and far right have tails indicating that they migrate S, which is parallel to the medial moraine at this location (2005).

View from Vadret Pers towards SW, with Piz Bernina (left) and Piz Morteratsch (right) in the background. A large granite boulder has recently fallen off its pedestal, towards S, in the foreground; several boulders lie at the southern end of prominent ice tails a bit further back (1996).

Big glacier table on the S side of a medial moraine of Vadret Pers (1996); view towards S, the boulder is tilted towards S. Note that the ice pedestal is covered in less dust and debris than the surrounding glacier surface. Another boulder on the right has already fallen off its pedestal.

The same glacier table as in the previous image, here in a wide panoramic view. The medial moraine where the big boulder originates as well as boulder sorting can be seen on the far left, other glacier tables on the right (1996).

Glacier table on Vadret Pers as stereo anaglyph. Red-blue or red-green glasses are needed to see the stereoscopic effect (1996).

Big glacier table with classic shape near the right lateral moraine of Vadret Pers. The view is towards NE. In this case the capping boulder is tilted the "wrong" way, i.e. towards NW (2000).

The same glacier table in stereo anaglyph image. Red-blue or red-green glasses are needed to see the steroscopic effect (2000).

This massive granite boulder is probably not producing a classic glacier table. Instead it seems to migrate S by continuously slipping off an ice tail wich is oriented N from the the boulder. The view is towards SSE (2006).

The same boulder as in the previous image, looking ESE. Note how the boulder casts a shadow on the ice tail, slowing its ablation (2006).

Large granite boulder forming a glacier table glacier table and a boulder forming an ice tail. The boulder is tilted towards S, the view is towards SE (2007).

The same glacier table from a slightly bigger distance. Other glacier tables and boulders on small ice mounds can be seen all around; view towards SE (2007).

Two boulders at the end of ice tails of exemplary shape. The ridges of each tail are highlighted. Both are related to earlier positions of the respective boulder. Panoramic view, the center is towards towards WNW (2006).

Identical view as in the previous image, without highlighting of the ice tails (2006).

Curiously, the boulder of this glacier table fell off in such a way that it landed on its narrow side. The remaining ice pedestal is covered by less dust than the surrounding ice. Similar ice mounds are visible on the right and further back; view towards SE (2007).

Glacier tables do not form when the debris cover of a medial moraine is too thick. Here, however, debris cover was thin enough, allowing the formation of a classical glacier table. The capping boulder is tilted towards S; view towards SW. The peak under the cloud is Piz Bernina (4049 m.a.s.l.). More glacier tables are on the far left (2007).

Despite temporary support by a student, this boulder will fall off its pedestal towards the S; viw towards SE. The glacier surface is covered by a thin layer after a recent snowfalls. The prominent peak on the far right is Piz Palü (3009 m.a.s.l.; 2007).

Panoramic view from Piz Trovat (3145 m.a.s.l.) over the tongue of Vadret Pers. Th etwo medial moraines go towards WNW in the center of the image. Notethat on the left (S) side of each moraine many boulders appear at increasing distance from each moraine. The following two images are stronger zooms on the central part of this overview photo (2015).

Closer view of the middle moraines of Vadret Pers as seen from Piz Trovat, looking towards WNW. boulder sorting is evident on the left (S) side of each medial moraine, with boulders ocurring at increasing disatnces further downglacier (upper right); few boulders are onthe right (N) side of each moraine (2015).

Even stronger zoomthan the presious image. At this scale individual boulders dowon to a size of about a third of a meter diameter can be seen. View towards WNW.