Glaciers prevent a fair number of serious risks, including a potential for cracking, falling ice, and crevasses. In many cases crevasses are covered by a layer of snow, making them near-invisible to those traveling along the surface. Snow bridges created by wind drift can be strong enough to support the weight of a person, but crossing them is highly risky.
Mountain guide Peter von Känel demonstrated impeccable risk management while testing the snow covering a bergschrund (a crevasse found near the top of a mountain glacier). He understood that there was a high chance of falling through, but he quelled that risk with proper belaying. That way, when he did inevitably fall through, Känel didn’t suffer a dramatic or deadly fall.
Glacial travel should never be done alone as the risk of slipping on the ice and/or falling into a crevasse is far too great. Crevasse probes are often used by mountaineers and glaciologists before making camp on glaciers to locate the hidden gaps, and most practice rescue methods and carry ice axes before heading out onto the terrain. Crampons are also frequently worn and group members are typically roped together.
