Serac

Seracs in firn at 10,000 feet on the Winthrop Glacier of Mount Rainier in Washington, USA

A serac (originally from Swiss French sérac, a crumbly white cheese) is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers since they may topple with little warning. Even when stabilized by persistent cold weather, they can be a serious impediment to glacier travel. Seracs are found within an icefall, often in large numbers, or at the ice cliff on the lower edge of a hanging glacier.

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