Lake Sassolo - an amazing ice reservoir in the Alps - video

The earth is full of wonderful and picturesque places. They represent the uniqueness of an area and its history. Whether these places are man-made, such as the underwater museum in Cancun, or naturally created, such as Jellyfish Lake in Palau, the common denominator is that they are spectacular, unique and awe-inspiring. Another location on this

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: September 15, 2015 - 09:41

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 11:40

Lake Sassolo – an amazing ice reservoir in the Alps – video

The earth is full of wonderful and picturesque places. They represent the uniqueness of an area and its history. Whether these places are man-made, such as the underwater museum in Cancun, or naturally created, such as Jellyfish Lake in Palau, the common denominator is that they are spectacular, unique and awe-inspiring.

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Another location on this list is certainly Lake Sassolo. This unique reservoir, located at an altitude of 2,000 metres, is situated near the southern border between Switzerland and Italy. The land is famous for its 140 lakes and over 5,500 km of rivers and streams, which are popular with divers and kayakers.

In winter the ice basin is completely frozen over, but in summer there is plenty of sunshine in this Alpine region. Then the temperature rises and the ice starts to melt. This period is the best time to dive among the huge blocks of ice. One of the people who have taken to exploring the ice labyrinth of crevices and tunnels is diver-photographer Franco Banfi.

Diving under a thick layer of ice, in water whose temperature fluctuates between 2-3°C, Banfi explores the nooks and crannies of the lake, capturing them on his amazing photographs. Diving in these conditions is quite dangerous, but Franco is an experienced diver who for years has been visiting the most interesting dive sites to capture their beauty with his camera.

“Diving at this site is an experience like no other. I am a professional photographer and have some experience diving in the Antarctic, Arctic, White Sea and many mountain lakes. Yes, I am risking my life, but I have years of experience including over 100 ice dives. My passion pushes me in this direction to take wonderful pictures,” said Banfi.

Gallery of great photos by Franco Banfi

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Photo: Franco Banfi

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.