:
, other_name = Monte Rosa massif
, translation = Mount Rose
, photo = Dufourspitze (Monte Rosa) and Monte Rosa Glacier as seen from Gornergrat, Wallis, Switzerland, 2012 August.jpg
, photo_caption = Central Monte Rosa massif, with
Dufourspitze
, it, Punta Dufour, rm, Piz da Dufour
, translation = Peak Dufour, Highest Peak, Large Horn
, photo = Monte Rosa summit.jpg
, photo_size =
, photo_caption = From the peak to the southeast towards Italy, the Dunantspi ...
to the south (right) and
Nordend
Nordend (meaning ''north end'' in German) is a northern peak of the Monte Rosa Massif. Nordend is the fourth highest peak of the massif, after the Dufourspitze (4,634 m), the Dunantspitze (4,632 m) and the Grenzgipfel (4,618 m). See also
*List ...
to the north (left), the Monte Rosa Glacier right below on its western wing, the upper
Gorner Glacier on the left, and the
Grenzgletscher to the right
, country_type = Countries
, country =
, subdivision1_type = Canton, Regions
, subdivision1 =
, parent =
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps (german: Walliser Alpen, french: Alpes valaisannes, it, Alpi Pennine, la, Alpes Poeninae), also known as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais) and Ital ...
,
Western Alps
, listing =
Country high point Canton high pointUltra
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley P ...
, length_km =
, length_orientation=
, width_km =
, width_orientation =
, geology =
, orogeny =
, highest =
Dufourspitze
, it, Punta Dufour, rm, Piz da Dufour
, translation = Peak Dufour, Highest Peak, Large Horn
, photo = Monte Rosa summit.jpg
, photo_size =
, photo_caption = From the peak to the southeast towards Italy, the Dunantspi ...
, elevation_m = 4634
, range_coordinates =
, coordinates =
, map = Switzerland
, map_caption = Location in Switzerland/Italy
, topo_map =
swisstopo: 3 – Suisse sud-ouest
, first_ascent = 1 August 1855 by Matthäus and Johannes Zumtaugwald, Ulrich Lauener, Christopher and James Smyth,
Charles Hudson,
John Birkbeck John Birkbeck (6 July 1817 – 31 July 1890) was a Yorkshireman, banker, alpinist, and pioneer potholer.
Early life and career
Born in Settle and educated at the local Giggleswick School and Trinity College, Cambridge (although, as a Quaker, ...
and Edward Stephenson.
, easiest_route = rock/snow/ice climb
Monte Rosa ( it, massiccio del Monte Rosa; german: Monte Rosa-Massiv; french: massif du Mont Rose) is a
mountain massif in the eastern part of the
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps (german: Walliser Alpen, french: Alpes valaisannes, it, Alpi Pennine, la, Alpes Poeninae), also known as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais) and Ital ...
. It is between
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
's (
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, demographics1_title2 ...
and
Aosta Valley) and
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 ...
's (
Valais). Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after
Mont Blanc.
[ John Ball, ''A Guide to the Western Alps'', pp. 308-314]
The group is on the
watershed
Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
between central and southern
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and has a prominence of 2165 meters which is ranked fifth in the Alps.
The Monte Rosa massif has four faces. Three are in Italy: the
Liskamm heading above the Val de Gressoney; the Valsesian face above
Alagna Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia (Walser German: ''Im Land'', Piedmontese: ''Alagna'', Valsesiano: ''Lagna'') is a '' comune'' and small village high in the Valsesia alpine valley in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy, a UNESCO World heritage ...
at the upper part of the
Valle della Sesia; and the steep, big east wall above
Macugnaga in the
Valle Anzasca. The Swiss north-western face has several glaciers (with one of the largest Alpine glaciers) flowing towards the
Mattertal with
Zermatt.
Its main summit, named ''
Dufourspitze
, it, Punta Dufour, rm, Piz da Dufour
, translation = Peak Dufour, Highest Peak, Large Horn
, photo = Monte Rosa summit.jpg
, photo_size =
, photo_caption = From the peak to the southeast towards Italy, the Dunantspi ...
'' in honor of the surveyor
Guillaume-Henri Dufour
Guillaume Henri Dufour (15 September 178714 July 1875) was a Swiss military officer, structural engineer and topographer. He served under Napoleon I and held the Swiss office of General four times in his career, firstly in 1847 when he led th ...
and wholly located in
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 ...
, culminates at and is followed by the five nearly equally high subsidiary summits of
Dunantspitze
The Dunantspitze (German for "Peak Dunant", 4,632 m), formerly called Ostspitze ("Eastern Peak"), is a peak of the Monte Rosa Massif in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It is the second highest peak of the massif, after the Dufourspitze ...
,
Grenzgipfel,
Nordend
Nordend (meaning ''north end'' in German) is a northern peak of the Monte Rosa Massif. Nordend is the fourth highest peak of the massif, after the Dufourspitze (4,634 m), the Dunantspitze (4,632 m) and the Grenzgipfel (4,618 m). See also
*List ...
,
Zumsteinspitze
The Zumsteinspitze (Punta Zumstein in Italian) (4,563 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa.
The summit lies between the Dufourspitze (to which it is joined by the ''Grenzs ...
, and
Signalkuppe
The Signalkuppe (in German, pronounced seeg-nall-koo-pay) also known as Punta Gnifetti (in Italian) (4,554 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa. The mountain is named afte ...
. Some other over 4000 m peaks such as
Piramide Vincent,
Punta Giordani
The Vincent Pyramid (Walser German: Vincentpiramid, french: Pyramide Vincent, it, Piramide Vincent) () is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located on the border between the Italian regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont. The Vincent Pyramid makes up ...
, and
Corno Nero are wholly in Italy. Monte Rosa is the
highest mountain of both
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 ...
and the
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps (german: Walliser Alpen, french: Alpes valaisannes, it, Alpi Pennine, la, Alpes Poeninae), also known as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais) and Ital ...
and is also the
second-highest mountain of the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
and Europe outside the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
.
The north-west side of the central Monte Rosa massif, with its enormous ice slopes and seracs, constitutes the boundary and upper basin of the large
Gorner Glacier, which descends towards
Zermatt and merges with its nowadays much larger tributary, the ''
Grenzgletscher'' ( en, 'Border Glacier'), right below the
Monte Rosa Hut
The Monte Rosa Hut (german: Monte Rosa Hütte) is a mountain hut located near Zermatt on the Monte Rosa massif (up to ) and above the Grenzgletscher (Border Glacier) sitting on a glacier-free rocky part called ''Untere Plattje'' at an altitude ...
on the lower end of the visible western wing. The Grenzgletscher is an impressive glacier formation between the western wing of the mountain and
Liskamm, a ridge on its southwestern side on the Swiss-Italian border. On the eastern side, in Italy, the mountain falls away in an almost vertical wall of granite and ice, the biggest in Europe, overlooking Macugnaga and several smaller glaciers.
Monte Rosa was studied by pioneering geologists and explorers, including
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...
in the late fifteenth century and
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the late eighteenth century. Following a long series of attempts beginning in the early nineteenth century, Monte Rosa's summit, then still called ''Höchste Spitze'' ( 'highest peak'), was first reached in 1855 from Zermatt by a party of eight climbers led by three guides. The great east wall was first climbed in 1872, from Macugnaga.
Each summer many climbers set out from the Monte Rosa Hut on the mountain's west wing for one of its summits via the
normal route
A normal route or normal way (french: voie normale; german: Normalweg) is the most frequently used route for ascending and descending a mountain peak. It is usually the simplest route.
Overview
In the Alps, routes are classed in the following way ...
or for the
Margherita Hut
The Margherita Hut (Italian: ''Capanna Regina Margherita'') is a mountain hut belonging to the Italian Alpine Club, located on the summit of Punta Gnifetti (ital., in German Signalkuppe) of Monte Rosa, a mountain massif of the Alps lying near th ...
on the ''Signalkuppe'' ( it, 'Punta Gnifetti'), used as a research station. Many tourists and hikers also come each year to the ''
Gornergrat'' on the northwest side of the massif, to see the panorama that extends over the giants of the Alps, from Monte Rosa to the
Matterhorn.
Etymology
Though the Italian as well as the French both mean "pink", the name is a
false cognate
False cognates are pairs of words that seem to be cognates because of similar sounds and meaning, but have different etymologies; they can be within the same language or from different languages, even within the same family. For example, the Eng ...
derived from the
Franco-Provençal Valdôtain ''
patois
''Patois'' (, pl. same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon o ...
'' word ''rouése'', meaning "glacier". On old maps as late as 1740, the mountain was named ''Monte Bosa'' and even ''Monte Biosa'' by the inhabitants of Val Sesia. The name ''Mon Boso'' which appears in
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...
's notebooks very likely designated the same mountain. From Zermatt the mountain was formerly known under the name ''Gornerhorn'' (in
Walliser German, “Large/Strong Horn”). The name ''gorner'' is still used for the western ridge that is thrown out from the main mass (''Gornergrat'') and the glacier that lies at its foot (''Gornergletscher'') but not used for the mountain itself anymore. Nowadays, in German, the Italian ''Monte Rosa'' is used instead (''Monte Rosa-Gletscher'', ''Monte Rosa-Hütte'', etc.).
Geography and climate
Geographic setting and description
Monte Rosa cover areas on both sides of the border between the Swiss
canton of Valais and the Italian regions of
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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and
Aosta Valley. The main summit of Monte Rosa is the
Dufourspitze
, it, Punta Dufour, rm, Piz da Dufour
, translation = Peak Dufour, Highest Peak, Large Horn
, photo = Monte Rosa summit.jpg
, photo_size =
, photo_caption = From the peak to the southeast towards Italy, the Dunantspi ...
. On the Swiss side the town centre of
Zermatt is about south-east and above it. On the Italian side of the massif are located north-east
Macugnaga in the
Valle Anzasca,south-east-south
Alagna Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia (Walser German: ''Im Land'', Piedmontese: ''Alagna'', Valsesiano: ''Lagna'') is a '' comune'' and small village high in the Valsesia alpine valley in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy, a UNESCO World heritage ...
in the
Valsesia and
Gressoney-La-Trinité in the Val de Gressoney, respectively, away from the summit. The different sides of the mountain greatly differ from each other. The Swiss west side is almost completely covered by large glaciers, tributaries of the large
Gorner Glacier, descending progressively with gentle slopes and forming a large uninhabited glacial valley. The Italian east side consists of a wall overlooking Macugnaga, whose snows feed the
Belvedere Glacier at its base. The southeast face, culminating at the
Signalkuppe
The Signalkuppe (in German, pronounced seeg-nall-koo-pay) also known as Punta Gnifetti (in Italian) (4,554 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa. The mountain is named afte ...
, overlooks the piedmontese
Valsesia ( it, Valle della Sesia) and the Val de Gressoney in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.
The mountain is mainly covered by eternal snows and glaciers, except for its summit which is a rocky ridge orientated west–east, near to and perpendicular to the main watershed between Switzerland and Italy (the river basins of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
and the
Po on the Swiss and Italian side, respectively). The connecting point between them is the
Grenzgipfel ( en, Border Summit) right on the border, and therefore also the highest peak on the Italian side. Thus Monte Rosa is the highest mountain in the Alps whose summit is not on the
main alpine watershed, although it is off by only 150 metres. The Silbersattel ( en, Silver Saddle) and Grenzsattel ( en, Border Saddle) are the passes located north and south to the summit. The three main secondary summits of Monte Rosa are (from north to south): the
Nordend
Nordend (meaning ''north end'' in German) is a northern peak of the Monte Rosa Massif. Nordend is the fourth highest peak of the massif, after the Dufourspitze (4,634 m), the Dunantspitze (4,632 m) and the Grenzgipfel (4,618 m). See also
*List ...
(4,609 m; north of the Dufourspitze), the
Zumsteinspitze
The Zumsteinspitze (Punta Zumstein in Italian) (4,563 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa.
The summit lies between the Dufourspitze (to which it is joined by the ''Grenzs ...
(4,563 m; south of the Dufourspitze) and the
Signalkuppe
The Signalkuppe (in German, pronounced seeg-nall-koo-pay) also known as Punta Gnifetti (in Italian) (4,554 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa. The mountain is named afte ...
(4,554 m, it, Punta Gnifetti), all of them being positioned right on the Swiss-Italian border. Other secondary summits are the
Parrotspitze (4,432 m), the
Ludwigshöhe
Ludwigshöhe is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Rhein-Selz. ...
(4,341 m) and the
Vincentpiramid (4,215 m). All of them originally have German names, since even the Italian valleys used to be by German-based
Walsers inhabited valleys.
Several perpendicular secondary ridges are connected to the central massif dividing the glaciers that descend towards the
Matter Valley. The ridge called Weissgrat connecting the Nordend with the
Schwarzberghorn
The Schwarzberghorn ( it, Corno Nero) is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit (3,609 m) is the tripoint between the valleys Mattertal, Saastal (both in Valais) and Valle Anzasca (in Pi ...
( it, Corno Nero) presents a wall of formidable precipices towards the east, but falls away in a gentle slope to the west. For a breadth of a few kilometres the upper snow-fields of the Weissgrat lie almost unbroken upon this slope, but as they begin to descend towards the Matter Valley they are divided into two ice streams (the upper
Gorner Glacier and the
Findel Glacier) by a ridge which gradually emerges from the névé, and finally presents a rather bold front to the glaciers on either side. The highest points of this ridge, appearing insignificant by contrast with the grand objects around, is the
Stockhorn (3,532 m) and the lower
Gornergrat at 3,090 m. On their south sides is the lower Gorner Glacier, formed by the confluence of all the major (Gornergletscher and Grenzgletscher) and minor tributaries descending from the north, west and south sides of the central Monte Rosa massif, while on the north side the Findel Glacier descends near to the hamlet of
Findeln.
Monte Rosa is one of the high mountains surrounding the Matter Valley south of
Stalden
Stalden () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at the foot of the Mischabelhörner and Dom ().
History
Stalden is first mentioned in 1213 as ''Morgi''. In 1224 it was mentioned as ''Stal ...
. On the southwest to west are
Liskamm,
Zwillinge
, photo= PolluxCastor.jpg
, photo_size= 285
, photo_caption= Pollux (left) and Castor (right)
, elevation_m= 4223
, elevation_ref=
, prominence_m= 165
, prominence_ref=
, parent_peak= Dufourspitze
, map= Alps
, map_caption= Location ...
with Castor and Pollux, the
Breithorn and the
Matterhorn; on the north are the
Weisshorn and the
Dom. The
Gornergrat summit, lying on the north-west at , is a popular viewpoint of the massif, since it is accessible by train from Zermatt, using the highest open air railway line in Europe.
File:Monte Rosa, north side.jpg, The east and north side with the north face of the Nordend (as seen from the Strahlhorn
The Strahlhorn (4,190 m) is a mountain of the Swiss Pennine Alps, located south of Saas-Fee and east of Zermatt in the canton of Valais. It lies on the range that separates the Mattertal from the Saastal and is located approximately halfway ...
)
File:Dufourspitze from east.jpg, Monte Rosa's east face, as seen from upper end of Valle Anzasca (Piedmont, Italy)
File:Hörnlihütte.jpg, The west side as seen at a distance of from Hörnlihütte, at the foot of the Matterhorn, (in the back from left to right): Rimpfischhorn, Strahlhorn, Findelgletscher, Stockhorn (and Gornergrat below it), upper (on the north side) and lower (on the west side) Gornergletscher – the central Monte Rosa massif – Grenzgletscher, Liskamm and several Breithorn peaks on the south side (2008)
File:Aerial Photo of Monte Rosa Massif - Wallis - Switzerland (cropped).jpg, Aerial photo of Monte Rosa massif with Gornergletscher on the left and Grenzgletscher on the right
Geography
The extended range of Monte Rosa, which appears to originate in the intersection of two axes of great elevation, throws out a number of ridges that radiate afar and gradually subside into the plain of northern Italy, covering a relatively large area. There is no convenient mode of subdividing the range. However, the natural limits of the district can be defined on the north side by the two branches of the Visp torrent. Following the west branch through the
Mattertal, crossing the
Theodul Pass, descending by the
Valtournanche
Valtournenche (local Valdôtain: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy, above the sea level. It is named after and covers most of the ''Valtournenche'', a valley on the left side of the Dora Baltea, from ...
to
Châtillon and to
Ivrea, and passing around the base of the mountains by
Arona, along
Lake Maggiore, and up the valley of the
Toce, to
Vogogna, then ascending by the Val Anzasca to the
Monte Moro Pass, the circuit is completed by the descent through the
Saastal to
Stalden
Stalden () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at the foot of the Mischabelhörner and Dom ().
History
Stalden is first mentioned in 1213 as ''Morgi''. In 1224 it was mentioned as ''Stal ...
. Within the line so traced, exceeding 450 km in length, all the ranges properly belonging to this group are included.
The direction of the ranges and the depressions offers a marked contrast to that prevailing throughout the adjoining regions of the Alps. Unless in a small part of the Italian valleys, the direction here is either parallel or perpendicular to the meridian. Monte Rosa itself lies near the intersection of a great north and south ridge, extending from the
Balfrin through the
Mischabelhörner, and the highest peaks of the mountain itself, to the Vincent Pyramide, and thence through the range that bounds the Valle di Gressoney, nearly to Ivrea, with the transverse range lying between the
Dent d'Herens and the Pizzo Bianco near
Macugnaga. The minor ridges on the north side of the border are parallel to this latter range, with their corresponding depressions occupied by the glaciers of
Gorner and
Findelen.
On clear days the mountainous massif of Monte Rosa provides a striking view from the
Po plain, particularly its upper reaches in western
Lombardy and eastern
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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. It dominates the
horizon, towering between other lesser
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National P ...
peaks as a prominent, multi-pointed, razor-sharp bulge, its permanent glaciers shining under the sun.
:"It is the opinion of many of the most competent judges, that for grandeur, beauty, and variety, the valleys descending from Monte Rosa are entitled to preeminence over every other portion of the Alps, and perhaps, if we regard the union of those three elements, over every other mountain region in the world." –
John Ball (first president of the
Alpine Club)
The massif is the border between Switzerland and Italy, though glacial melt has caused some alterations to the border. These changes were ratified by the two countries in 2009 and will continue to be subject to change as melting continues.
Geology
The entire massif consists mainly of
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
and granite
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...
(a
metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...
with foliations). The ''Monte Rosa Nappe'' lies below the
Zermatt-Saas zone The Zermatt-Saas zone is a tectonic unit in the western part of the Alps. Its lithology is mainly ophiolite but there are some pelitic zones too.
The Zermatt-Saas zone is tectonostratigraphically the highest part of the Penninic nappes and lies di ...
and is part of the
Penninic nappes
The Penninic nappes or the Penninicum, commonly abbreviated as Penninic, are one of three nappe stacks and geological zones in which the Alps can be divided. In the western Alps the Penninic nappes are more obviously present than in the eastern ...
in the
Briançonnais microcontinent zone, although its paleographic origin is controversial and is sometimes assigned to the Sub-Penninic nappes. Rocks in the paragneiss of the Monte Rosa Nappe record
eclogite-facies metamorphism. The deformation of the Monte Rosa granites indicates a depth of
subduction
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, ...
of about 60 km. They were brought to the surface by
tectonic uplift, which still continues today.
The summit is a sharp, jagged edge of mica schist connected by an arête with the Nordend, but cut off from the Zumsteinspitze to the south by nearly vertical rocks about in height.
Climate
Being the highest point in Switzerland, Monte Rosa is also one of the most extreme places. The average air pressure is about half of that of the sea level (56%) and the temperature can reach as low as . Owing to the frequent prevalence of a high wind from the east or north-east, and the slow pace at which it is possible to move when near the top, precautions against cold are particularly necessary when climbing Monte Rosa.
[ John Ball, ''A guide to the western Alps'', p. 317] The
snow line is located at about .
Tourism
The Monte Rosa massif is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. It hosts several
ski resorts
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In N ...
with long
piste
A ''piste'' () is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports.
This European term is French s.
Plateau Rosa
The Theodul Glacier (also spelled ''Theodule Glacier''; german: Theodulgletscher, french: Glacier du Théodule, it, Ghiacciaio del Teodulo) is a glacier of the Alps, located south of Zermatt in the canton of Valais. It lies on the Swiss side of ...
, about 3,500 metres high above sea level, is a summer ski resort, with snow all year round due to the altitude. The Plateau Rosa is connected via
aerial tramway
An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...
to
Cervinia
Breuil-Cervinia (french: Breuil; it, Cervinia; Valdôtain: ) is a ''frazione'' of the '' comune'' of Valtournenche, and is considered one of the most renowned winter and summer tourist resorts in the Alps.
Etymology
The name of ''Breuil-Cervin ...
and to
Zermatt via the
Klein Matterhorn
The Klein Matterhorn (sometimes translated as ''Little Matterhorn'') is a peak of the Pennine Alps, overlooking Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais. At above sea level, it is the highest place in Europe that can be reached by aerial tramway ...
. The western fringes of the massif reach the
Zermatt ski domain.
Gressoney,
Champoluc,
Alagna Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia (Walser German: ''Im Land'', Piedmontese: ''Alagna'', Valsesiano: ''Lagna'') is a '' comune'' and small village high in the Valsesia alpine valley in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy, a UNESCO World heritage ...
and
Macugnaga (under the east face, intensely glaciated and 2,500 metres high) are the main mountain and ski resorts that surround Monte Rosa along its southern side. Monte Rosa is not technically difficult to climb, but can be quite dangerous due to its great altitude and sudden weather changes, as well as
crevasses
A crevasse is a deep crack, that forms in a glacier or ice sheet that can be a few inches across to over 40 feet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pi ...
in its extensive glaciers – one of the major glaciated areas in the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
.
Trekking
The
Monte Rosa tour can be completed by trekkers in about 10 days. The circuit follows many ancient trails that have linked the Swiss and Italian valleys for centuries. The circuit includes larch forests, alpine meadows, balcony trails and a glacial crossing. It connects seven valleys embracing different cultures: the German-speaking high Valais, the
Arpitan speaking
Aosta Valley and the valleys of
Lombardy and
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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The Monte Rosa massif
Peaks
Usually these peaks are considered to be part of the Monte Rosa massif:
Glaciers
Usually these glaciers are considered to be part of the Monte Rosa massif:
*
Gornergletscher ( en, Gorner Glacier)
*Monte-Rosa-Gletscher ( en, Monte Rosa Glacier)
*
Grenzgletscher ( en, Border Glacier)
*
Findelgletscher ( en, Findel Glacier)
*Lysgletscher ( en, Lys Glacier)
*Endregletscher ( en, Endre Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio di Bors ( en, Bors Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio delle Piode ( en, Piode Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio della Sesia ( en, Sesia Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio delle Vigne ( en, Vigne Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio Sud delle Loccie ( en, South Glacier of Loccie)
*Ghiacciaio Nord delle Loccie ( en, North Glacier of Loccie)
*Ghiacciaio del Signal ( en, Signal Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio del M. Rosa ( en, M. Rosa Glacier)
*Ghiacciaio del Nordend ( en, Nordend Glacier)
*
Ghiacciaio del Belvedere ( en, Belvedere Glacier)
Panorama
See also
*
List of mountains of Valais
This is a list of mountains of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Valais. Valais is a very mountainous canton and includes the highest mountains of Switzerland. The highest mountain ranges are the Pennine Alps, the Bernese Alps and the M ...
*
High Alps
*
List of most isolated mountains of Switzerland
References
External links
Video and photos of a climb up to Capanna MargheritaGressoney Monterosa – www.gressoneyonline.itRifugi Monterosa – Mountain Huts on Monte RosaTour Monte Rosa – MatterhornMonte Rosa, some Photos, incl. panoramic view, Swiss side
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa, Monte
Mountain ranges of the Alps
Mountain ranges of Switzerland
Mountain ranges of Italy
Mountain ranges of Piedmont
Mountains of the Alps
Pennine Alps
Mountains of Switzerland
Mountains of Valais
Mountains of Aosta Valley
Alpine four-thousanders
Four-thousanders of Switzerland
Highest points of Swiss cantons
Mountains partially in Italy