The north-facing Moiry Valley (Val de Moiry) is located at the head of the Grimentz Valley in the canton of Valais in SW Switzerland. The virtual field trip starts at the Moiry Dam, which is at 2250 m asl, although there is currently only one stop here. The remaining stops are all upvalley from the car park at the end of the road (~2340 m asl), following a path that climbs the eastern slopes to 2470 m asl, before descending onto the glacier surface. The surrounding peaks all exceed 3000 m asl, with the highest (Grand Cornier; 3962 m asl) located at the head of the valley. The Moiry Glacier (Le Glacier de Moiry) is the only glacier in this valley.
This virtual field trip provides an opportunity to explore the surface of the Moiry Glacier, with a number of supraglacial features clearly visible. The surrounding geomorphology is also impressive, and there is clear evidence for more extensive glacier positions in the recent past. From the mid-19th Century onwards, glacier positions are also recorded on topographic maps (available from swisstopo via the link below).
There are many opportunities for using this virtual field trip in class for teaching and assessment. To help you get started, a worksheet is available (see below), and the intention is to add others in due course.
The imagery for this virtual field trip was acquired in June 2017. There are plans to extend this resource when time and finances allow.
Additional imagery was collected in June 2019, and this has now been added to the virtual field trip. It extends the resource up the western side of the valley. There was a lot of snow on the ground, which limited what we were able to achieve in the field. However, there are some excellent moraine-related sites to be enjoyed (Sites 20-30). In due course, drone imagery (video) will be added. Watch this space!
A new virtual field trip has been added, using imagery captured in June 2023. This includes both ground-level and drone 360 images. Video will be added in due course.
A new virtual field trip has been added, using imagery captured in June 2024. This includes both ground-level and drone 360 images. This remains a work in progress.
I'm a Physical Geographer at the University of Worcester (England, UK). Interests include mountain glaciers, mountain geomorphology and Quaternary environmental change. I'm also interested in the use of virtual reality in teaching.
In order to support the ongoing development of this site, it would be really helpful if you could let me know why and how you use the resource. I’d also appreciate hearing any ideas you may have for improvements. Thank you!
© VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes by Derek McDougall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License.
2018 – 2024