| What it is | Crossing a glacier as a roped team |
| Main hazard | Hidden crevasses |
| Requires | Roping up, self-arrest, crevasse rescue |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
Glacier travel is the technique of crossing a glacier safely as a roped team, managing the hazard of hidden crevasses. Climbers travel roped together at set spacing, ready to arrest a fall and perform crevasse rescue, while reading the glacier’s surface for sagging snow bridges and other signs of crevasses below.
Why rope up
Hidden crevasses under snow bridges mean a roped team can catch and then rescue a member who breaks through.
The skills
Self-arrest, route-reading, and crevasse rescue. This article is educational and not a substitute for hands-on instruction.
Frequently asked questions
What is glacier travel?
Glacier travel is moving across a glacier — usually as a roped team — in a way that manages the danger of crevasses hidden beneath the snow. It combines roping up, reading the terrain, self-arrest, and crevasse-rescue readiness into a system for safe passage.
Why do you rope up on a glacier?
Because crevasses are often invisible under snow bridges, and a roped team can catch a member who breaks through before they fall far, then rescue them. Traveling unroped on a snow-covered glacier risks a fatal, unrecoverable crevasse fall.
How do you cross a glacier safely?
Travel as a roped team at appropriate spacing with minimal slack, keep the ice axe ready for self-arrest, probe and avoid suspect snow bridges, read surface sags that reveal crevasses, choose the safest line, and carry the skills and gear for crevasse rescue.
Sources
- Glacier travel fundamentals — American Alpine Club
- Glacier instruction — AMGA