The excursion will visit some key sites for the reconstruction of the Lateglacial period in Switzerland and the French Northern Alps, where some recent results have been obtained:
- a low altitude site where tephra layers from 3 different source areas could be found in lacustrine sediments and linked to high resolution pollen and isotope records (Gerzensee);
- high resolution morainic sequences built by small glaciers during the early Lateglacial, in an today almost totally unglaciated area of the Prealps, including fossil rockglaciers (Les Mosses - Les Diablerets);
- a key sequence at middle altitude, with palaeomagnetic, isotopic and high resolution palaeoecological multi-proxy data (Leysin - Les Lechières);
- a morainic deglaciation sequence covering almost the entire span from Pleniglacial to today in a still glaciated area (Mont-Blanc and Arve valley).
Topics like dating, resolution of records, correlation, climatic significance of the records and biotic response to climate change will be discussed.

Bern - Gerzensee - Col des Mosses/Les Diablerets/Leysin - Chamonix - Geneva

Fee includes transportation, accomodation (4 nights), all meals, cable car to Aiguille-du Midi (or Montenvers depending on the weather), and guidebook.

Participants are advised that another low altitude key site, Soppensee, is proposed as a one day mid-conference excursion (MID-17).

It is possible to leave the trip after day 3 to join Geneva, Bern or Zurich by train.