Surface of the Aletsch Glacier, photographed by Jürg Kaufmann

Surface of the Aletsch Glacier, photographed by Jürg Kaufmann

For years, I have been fascinated by glacier surfaces, which vary greatly from the glacier tongues all the way up to the glacier's source.

That day, I set out early in the morning from Bettmerhorn; it was gray, wet, and cold. It had been quite some time since I’d had a whole day to spare for the glacier trail that leads to Lake Märjelen.

The last few glacier expeditions were pretty grueling—a 20-kg backpack loaded with all my photography gear and crampons. Since we’re usually out on the glacier in pairs, I tend to follow a plan and look for specific areas or crevasses,

This morning I was out on my own, so I was able to take my time—which I really enjoyed, despite the wet and cold. After about two hours, the sun finally came out a bit and the light began to move across the glacier.

What had started out as an almost hopeless day turned into a great day for photography in just a few minutes—sometimes all it takes is a little patience.

If you look closely, you’ll find many small and large crevasses with that “glacier blue” color.