Glarus Alps
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The Glarus Alps (german: Glarner Alpen) are a
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in central
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. They are bordered by the
Uri Alps The Uri Alps (also known as ''Urner Alps'', german: Urner Alpen) are a mountain range in Central Switzerland and part of the Western Alps. They extend into the cantons of Obwalden, Valais, canton of Bern, Bern, Canton of Uri, Uri and Nidwalden and ...
and the Schwyz Alps to the west, the
Lepontine Alps , topo_map= Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo , photo=MonteLeone0001.jpg , photo_caption=Monte Leone , country_type= Countries , country= , subdivision1_type= Cantons, Regions , subdivision1= , parent= Western Alps , borders ...
to the south, the
Appenzell Alps The Appenzell Alps (german: Appenzeller Alpen) are a mountain range in Switzerland on the northern edge of the Alps. They extend into the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden and St. Gallen and are bordered by the Glarus Alps ...
to the northeast. The eastern part of the Glarus Alps contains a major
thrust fault A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks. Thrust geometry and nomenclature Reverse faults A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less. If ...
that was declared a geologic
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
(the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona). The Glarus Alps extend well beyond the canton of Glarus, including parts of the cantons of
Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...
, Graubünden, and
St Gallen St. Gallen or traditionally St Gall, in German language, German; it, San Gallo; rm, Son Gagl) is a Switzerland, Swiss List of cities in Switzerland, city and the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of St. Gallen, St ...
. Conversely, not all the mountains in the canton of Glarus are part of the Glarus Alps, with those to the north of the
Urner Boden The Urnerboden is a village in the high valley of Urner Boden, and also an alp and a small high Alpine permanent settlement in the Swiss canton of Uri. At in length, it is believed to be the largest alp in Switzerland. It forms a disconnected ...
and to the west of the valley of the river
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
considered to be part of the Schwyz Alps.


Geography

The main chain of the Glarus Alps can be divided into six minor groups, separated from each other by passes, the lowest of which exceeds 7,500 ft. The westernmost of these is the Crispalt, a rugged range including many peaks of nearly equal height. The highest of these are the
Piz Giuv Piz Giuv (or Schattig Wichel) is a mountain of the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Uri and Graubünden. At 3,096 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain of the Glarus Alps lying west of the Oberalpstock. It ...
(3,096 m) and
Piz Nair Piz Nair () is a mountain of the Albula Alps in Switzerland, overlooking St. Moritz in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden. The peak is easily accessible from the village with a funicular and a Aerial lift, cable car; the upper sta ...
. The name ''Crispalt'' is given to a southern, but secondary, peak of Piz Giuv, measuring 3,070 m. West of the main group is the Rienzenstock, while a northern outlyer culminates in the
Bristen The Bristen (3,073 m) is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, overlooking the valley of the Reuss and located to the south of Amsteg in the canton of Uri, Switzerland. The mountain is located about four kilometres north of Piz Giuv and the border ...
. East of the Crispalt, the Chrüzli Pass separates this from the rather higher mass of the
Oberalpstock The Oberalpstock or Piz Tgietschen is a mountain in the Glarus Alps between the cantons of Uri and Graubünden. Its massif separates the valleys of Maderanertal (Uri) and Surselva near Sedrun (Graubündnen). The Oberalpstock is the highest ...
(3,328 m). John Ball, ''The Alpine Guide, Central Alps'', 1866, London Here occurs a partial break in the continuity of the chain. The crest of the snowy range connecting the Oberalpstock with the
Tödi The Tödi (), is a mountain massif and with the mountain peak Piz Russein the highest mountain in the Glarus Alps and the highest summit in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It is located on the border between the cantons of canton of Graubünden ...
nowhere sinks to 9,000 feet, but makes a sweep convex to the north, forming a semicircular recess, whose numerous torrents are all poured into the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
through the
Val Russein The Val Russein is a valley of the Swiss Alps, located south of the Tödi Group in Graubünden. The valley is drained by the ''Aua da Russein'', a tributary of the Vorderrhein, near Cumpadials (962 m). The Val Russein belongs to the municipali ...
below
Disentis Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the ...
. Two glacier passes lead over this part of the chain — one to west, over the Brunnigletscher to the
Maderanertal The Maderanertal is an Alpine valley of the canton of Uri in Central Switzerland. It is drained by the Chärstelenbach, a stream that is a right tributary of the Reuss at Amsteg. The highest mountain in the Maderanertal is the Oberalpstock with ...
; the other to the north-east, over the Sand Glacier, to the Linthal. The
Tödi The Tödi (), is a mountain massif and with the mountain peak Piz Russein the highest mountain in the Glarus Alps and the highest summit in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It is located on the border between the cantons of canton of Graubünden ...
, the highest of the range and of north-eastern Switzerland (3,614 m), is attended by numerous secondary peaks that arise from the extensive snow-fields surrounding the central mountain. A very considerable outlyer, whose chief summits are the Schärhorn and the
Gross Windgällen The Gross Windgällen is a 3,187 m high mountain in the Glarus Alps, overlooking the valley of the Reuss in the canton of Uri. The name Gross Windgällen derives from Gälle or gellen, meaning as much as wailing, shrilling or whistling. ...
, belonging to the canton of Uri, is connected with the Tödi by the range of the
Clariden The Clariden is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, located at an elevation of between the Swiss cantons of Uri and Glarus. While on the north the Clariden overlooks the high Klausen Pass, the south side is covered by large glaciers. The Hüfifir ...
, north to the Hüfi Glacier. A less important branch encloses the
Biferten Glacier The Biferten Glacier (german: Bifertenfirn) is a glacier (2005) situated in the Glarus Alps in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of . The glacier is located east of the Tödi. See also *List of glaciers in Switzerland ...
, and terminates in the Selbsanft, south of Tierfehd. Towards the valley of the Vorderrhein a high promontory stretches nearly due south from the central peaks of the Tödi, and is crowned by the summit of the Piz Posta Biala. Another considerable ramification of the same mass terminates farther to the east in the peak of the Cavistrau. The Kisten Pass separates the Tödi group from the Hausstock, whose summit attains 3,158 m; a branch of this latter group forms the range of the
Kärpf The Kärpf (or Chärpf) is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, at an elevation of . The Kärpf is the highest point of the massif lying north of Richetli Pass (). This range separates the two main valleys of Glarus: the main Linth valley with the vi ...
in the canton of Glarus. The Hausstock is cut off from the rather lower but more extended mass of the
Vorab The Vorab is a mountain of the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden. The summit (3,028 metres) is also named ''Bündner Vorab'' to distinguish it from a lower summit (3,018 metres) named ''Glarner Vor ...
by the
Panixer Pass Panix Pass or Panixer Pass ( Romansh: ''Pass dil Veptga'', German: ''Panixerpass'') (2404 m) is a Swiss Alpine pass between the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden. The pass was once an important trade route between the canton of Glarus and Ital ...
(7,907 ft). Numerous summits, of which the Vorab proper and Piz Grisch are the most important, approach very near, but do not quite attain to 10,000 feet. The eastern limit of the latter group is marked by the — the most frequented of those connecting the Canton Glarus with the Vorderrhein — beyond which arises a wide-stretching mass of rock and glacier, which is part of the
Glarus thrust The Glarus thrust (german: Glarner Überschiebung) is a major thrust fault in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. Along the thrust the Helvetic nappes were thrust more than 100 km to the north over the external Aarmassif and Infrahelvetic compl ...
and culminates at
Piz Sardona Piz Sardona (or Surenstock) is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, on the border between the cantons Glarus and St. Gallen. The 3,056 metre high mountain overlooks the valleys of Elm (Glarus) and Calfeisen (St. Gallen). Less than one kilometre sout ...
. This mass is cleft by a deep valley — the Calfeisental: one branch, culminating in the Pizol (2,844 m), extends east over
Pfäfers Pfäfers is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The villages Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön and Vättis belong to the municipality. History The '' ...
, while another, including the highest peak of the
canton of St. Gallen The canton of St. Gallen, also canton of St Gall (german: link=no, Kanton St. Gallen ; rm, Chantun Son Gagl; french: Canton de Saint-Gall; it, Canton San Gallo), is a canton of Switzerland. The capital is St. Gallen. Located in northeastern ...
, the
Ringelspitz The Ringelspitz (also known as ''Piz Barghis'') is a mountain of the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Graubünden. Reaching a height of 3,248 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit in th ...
(3,247 m), runs due east to the low Kunkels Pass (1,357 m), separating this range from the Calanda.


Principal summits


Glaciers

Main
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s : * Hüfi Glacier *
Limmern Glacier The Limmern Glacier (german: Limmernfirn) is a glacier situated in the Glarus Alps in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. The glacier is situated below the mountains of Bifertenstock, to the south, and Schiben, to the north. Meltwater from the gla ...
*
Biferten Glacier The Biferten Glacier (german: Bifertenfirn) is a glacier (2005) situated in the Glarus Alps in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of . The glacier is located east of the Tödi. See also *List of glaciers in Switzerland ...
*
Vorab Glacier The Vorab Glacier (german: Vorabgletscher, rarely ''Vorabfiren'', Romansh: ''Glatscher dil Vorab'') is a 2 km long glacier (as of 2005) situated in the Glarus Alps in the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden. It lies on the east side of the Vo ...


Passes

The chief passes of the Tödi Range, from the
Oberalp Pass Oberalp Pass ( rm, Alpsu or ''Cuolm d'Ursera''; german: Oberalppass) (2044 meters above sea level) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis/Mustér and Andermatt. Winter closure ...
to the
Klausen Pass Klausen Pass (German: ''Klausenpass''; elevation: ) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Altdorf in the canton of Uri with Linthal in the canton of Glarus. Somewhat unusually, the boundary between the two cantons does not lie ...
, are: :''Note: road status .''


See also

*
Swiss Alps The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss ...


References

*
Swisstopo Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (in German language, German: ''Bundesamt für Landestopografie''; French language, French: ''Office fédéral de topographie''; Italian language, Italian: ''Ufficio fed ...
maps


Maps

* Swiss official cartography (''
Swiss Federal Office of Topography Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (in German: ''Bundesamt für Landestopografie''; French: ''Office fédéral de topographie''; Italian: ''Ufficio federale di topografia''; Romansh: ''Uffizi federal da ...
'' - Swisstopo); on-line version
map.geo.admin.ch


External links

*

{{Authority control Mountain ranges of Switzerland Landforms of the canton of Glarus Glarus–Graubünden border Graubünden–Uri border Graubünden–St. Gallen border Glarus–St. Gallen border Mountain ranges of the Alps Swiss Alps