1818, la débâcle du Giétro

Specials

Specials

1818 was a particularly harsh winter. The Giétro glacier blocked the River Dranse, until suddenly the ice gave way and a 32-metre-high wave submerged the Val de Bagnes. Thanks to engineer Ignaz Venetz, an even worse catastrophe was avoided. The disaster led to the birth of glaciology and climatology.