This chapter explores the concept of Glacial Intimacy to examine the evolving relationships between humans and glaciers in the Swiss Alps, particularly in the canton of Valais. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and using a multi-sensory methodology, the study reveals how glaciers are more than geophysical entities; they are dynamic actors in local cultural practices, memories, and activism. By focusing on both local residents and urban climate activists, the chapter uncovers a complex interplay between personal attachments to glaciers and broader global narratives of climate change. Understanding these human-glacier relationships also sheds light on how mountain villagers are adapting and transforming in response to environmental and social shifts. Through ceremonies, rituals, funerals and everyday interactions, glaciers are seen as more-than-human beings that shape and are shaped by human experiences. The concept of Glacial Intimacy highlights the interconnectedness of these icy landscapes with belonging, memory, and the Anthropocene, urging a reconsideration of how glaciers are engaged with in both local and global contexts.
