Pizzo Rotondo is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
in the
Lepontine Alps. At 3,190 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain lying on the border between the cantons of
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
and
Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
, as well as the highest summit of the Lepontine Alps lying between
Nufenen Pass and
Lukmanier Pass.
The massif of Piz Rotondo separates the valleys of the upper
Rhone (Valais) and upper
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
. About two kilometres north-east lies the
Witenwasserenstock, which is the watershed between the basins of the Rhone,
Po and
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
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, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
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, so ...
.
On the north side lies a relatively large glacier named ''Gerengletscher'', which extends to the ridge of the Witenwasserenstock. On the south side, at Passo di Rotondo, lies a smaller glacier named ''Ghiacciaio del Pizzo Rotondo''.
The first ascent by Viktor Haller and his guides on August 5, 1869, started from
Bedretto in
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
over the east face and the (by now nearly gone) Pesciora glacier. Only four days later, the second ascent took place, this time from the other site. F. Schläpfer and his guides Rudolf Elmer and Johann Kreuzer, started from
Oberwald
Oberwald is a village in the municipality of Obergoms in Goms District in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
It is situated at an elevation of 1,377 m and had a population of 277 in December 2007. It is located at the end of the Goms, direct ...
, and made the first ascent of the north summit via the long Geren valley and the Geren glacier. Only Elmer and Kreuzer traversed to the somewhat higher southern summit.
[
]
See also
* List of mountains of Ticino
* List of mountains of Valais
*List of most isolated mountains of Switzerland
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* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
Pizzo Rotondo on SummitpostPizzo Rotondo on Hikr
Mountains of the Alps
Alpine three-thousanders
Mountains of Switzerland
Mountains of Valais
Mountains of Ticino
Ticino–Valais border
Lepontine Alps
{{Valais-mountain-stub