Glaciers are beautiful but unforgiving. Beneath the surface lie crevasses — hidden fractures that can swallow the unwary.
Travelling roped together allows a team to arrest a fall before it becomes fatal. Each member must know how to walk in step, keep the rope taut without jerking, and perform a crevasse rescue if necessary.
Crampons and an ice axe are mandatory; glacier travel is slow, deliberate work. But it opens access to some of the most spectacular terrain in the mountains, where few footprints ever fall.