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Weisshorn
The Weisshorn (German, lit. ''white peak/mountain'') is a major peak of Switzerland and the Alps, culminating at above sea level. It is part of the Pennine Alps and is located between the valleys of Anniviers and Zermatt in the canton of Valais. In the latter valley, the Weisshorn is one of the many 4000ers surrounding Zermatt, with Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. The Weisshorn was first climbed in 1861 from Randa by the Irish physicist John Tyndall, accompanied by the guides J.J. Bennen and Ulrich Wenger. Nowadays, the Weisshorn Hut is used on the normal route. The Weisshorn is considered by many mountaineers to be the most beautiful mountain in the Alps and Switzerland for its pyramidal shape and pure white slopes. In April and May 1991, two consecutive rockslides took place from a cliff above the town of Randa on the east side of the massif, below the Bis Glacier. Geography The Weisshorn is situated in the southern canton of Valais, about 25 km southwards from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matterhorn
The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe.Considering summits with at least 300 metres prominence, it is the 6th highest in the Alps and Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the ''Hörnli'', ''Furggen'', ''Leone''/''Lion'', and ''Zmutt'' ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast; and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade route since the Roman Era. The M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weisshorn Hut
The Weisshorn Hut (german: Weisshornhütte) is a mountain hut of the Swiss Alpine Club, located above Randa in the canton of Valais. It is located on the southern slopes of the Weisshorn, at a height of 2,932 metres above sea level, near the bottom of the Schali Glacier. A trail climbing to the Schali Glacier (3,100 m) connects the Weisshorn Hut to Randa. The hut is mainly used for the ascent of the Weisshorn via the eastern ridge. References *Swisstopo 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 d ... topographic maps External linksOfficial website Mountain huts in Switzerland Buildings and structures in Valais Mountain huts in the Alps {{Valais-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mattertal
The Matter Valley (German: Mattertal, or sometimes ''Nikolaital'') is located in southwestern Switzerland, south of the Rhone valley in the canton of Valais. The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surrounded by many four-thousanders, including the Matterhorn. Geography Located in the Pennine Alps, the Matter Valley is drained by the Matter Vispa, a tributary of the Rhone. The valley itself ends at Stalden where it meets the Saas Valley. The resulting Visp Valley continues for a few kilometres until it reaches the town of Visp on the young river Rhone. The valley starts between the high summits south of Zermatt (Monte Rosa, Matterhorn) on the border with Italy. The upper side is glaciated, the second largest glacier of the Alps, the Gorner Glacier lies at the foot of Monte Rosa (4,634 m), while the Zmutt Glacier lies at the foot of the Matterhorn (4,478 m). Around the village of Randa are located the Weisshorn (4,505 m) and the Dom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zinalrothorn
The Zinalrothorn (4,221 m) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. Its name comes from the village of Zinal lying on the north side and from the German word ''Rothorn'' which means ''Red Peak''. When it was first climbed in 1864 the mountain was known locally as ''Moming''. Geography The Zinalrothorn is one of the high summits separating the Matter valley on the east and the Val d'Anniviers (or more precisely the Val de Zinal) on the west. The summit of the Weisshorn (4,505 m) is located 5 km to the north and the Dent Blanche 7 km to the west. At the western foot of the mountain lies the large Zinal Glacier and, on the northern side, the Moming Glacier. L'Epaule (the shoulder) is a minor summit lying at the base of the northern ridge. The villages of Täsch and Zermatt are the closest while Zinal on the north-west is located further (9 km). Climbing history The first ascent was made on 22 August 1864 via the north ridge by Leslie Stephen and Florence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. The flag of the canton is made of thirteen stars representing the districts, on a white-red background. Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of Vaud and Bern to the north, the cantons of Uri and Ticino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and the Grisons, which encompass a vast diversity of ecosystems. It is a bilingual canton, French and German being its two official languages. Traditionally, the canton is divided into Lower, Central, and Upper Valais, the latter region constituting the Germa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Italy (Piedmont and the Aosta Valley). The Pennine Alps are amongst the three highest major subranges of the Alps, together with the Bernese Alps and the Mont Blanc massif. Geography The Italian side is drained by the rivers Dora Baltea, Sesia and Toce, tributaries of the Po. The Swiss side is drained by the Rhône. The Great St Bernard Tunnel, under the Great St Bernard Pass, leads from Martigny, Switzerland to Aosta. Morphology The main chain ( watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea) runs from west to east on the border between Italy (south) and Switzerland (north). From Mont Vélan, the first high summit east of St Bernard Pass, the chain rarely goes below 3000 metres and contains many four-thousanders such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Tyndall
John Tyndall FRS (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air, proving the connection between atmospheric CO and what is now known as the greenhouse effect in 1859. Tyndall also published more than a dozen science books which brought state-of-the-art 19th century experimental physics to a wide audience. From 1853 to 1887 he was professor of physics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. He was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society in 1868. Early years and education Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland. His father was a local police constable, descended from Gloucestershire emigrants who settled in southeast Ireland around 1670. Tyndall attended the local schools (Ballinabranna Primary School) in County Carlow u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. The Alpine arch generally extends from Nice on the western Mediterranean to Trieste on the Adriatic and Vienna at the beginning of the Pannonian Basin. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrust fault, thrusting and Fold (geology), folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Alpine region area contains 128 peaks higher than List of Alpine four-thousanders, . The altitude and size of the range af ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Randa Rockslides
In April and May 1991, two consecutive rockslides occurred from a cliff above the town of Randa in the Matter valley of Switzerland. The rockslides released a cumulative volume of approximately 30 million cubic meters of debris, with each of the rockslide stages occurring over several hours. Slide debris buried key regional transportation lines including the road and railway leading to Zermatt, and dammed the Mattervispa river which eventually flooded a portion of the town of Randa upstream. There were no fatalities resulting from either of the rockslide events, though livestock, farmhouses and holiday homes were destroyed. Geological situation The Matter valley in the region of Randa exhibits classical morphology of glacial erosion, with steep rock walls and a wide valley bottom creating the common U-shaped form. Cliffs adjacent to the valley are exceptionally high, rising vertically some 800 m, while the nearby peaks of the Weisshorn and Dom sit 3000 m above the town of Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vispa
The Vispa is a river in the canton of Valais, located in the Visp area. It is essentially composed of two large branches: the Matter Vispa and the Saaser Vispa, converging at Stalden, then forming the Vispa proper, flowing for less than before converging with the Rhône at Visp. The Vispa is a left and major affluent of the Rhône, before it enters Lake Geneva. The Vispa collects the waters from the Mattertal (formed by the Matter Vispa) and the Saastal (formed by the Saaser Vispa), the two highest valleys in Switzerland and the Pennine Alps. Both valleys have mountains over above sea level, the highest being Monte Rosa, the Dom and the Weisshorn, and include numerous glaciers, large and small. As a result, the river is characterized by a glacial regime, similarly to the Massa, another nearby affluent of the Rhône. The Matter Vispa is the longest of the two branches. It is over long, from the mouth of the Gorner Glacier to Stalden. It comprehends small but numerous affl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Main Chain Of The Alps
The main chain of the Alps, also called the Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the drainage divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range. The Alps are something of an unusual case in that several significant groups of mountains are separated from the main chain by sizable distances. Among these groups are the Dauphine Alps, the Eastern and Western Graians, the entire Bernese Alps, the Tödi, Albula and Silvretta groups, the Ortler and Adamello ranges, and the Dolomites of South Tyrol, as well as the lower Alps of Vorarlberg, Bavaria, and Salzburg. Main features The Alpine Divide is defined for much of its distance by the watershed between the drainage basin of the Po in Italy on one side, with the other side of the divide being formed by the Rhone, the Rhine and the Danube. Further east, the watershed is between the Adige and the Danube, before headin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Randa, Switzerland
Randa is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is located between the Weisshorn and the Dom in the Matter Valley. The village is accessible by road and rail, and it has a campsite which offers a taxi service to Zermatt, a car-free town. The Glacier Express train line also connects Randa to Zermatt. History Randa is first mentioned in 1305 as ''Randa''. In 1819, the village was almost totally destroyed by the blast from a huge avalanche that fell nearby. In 1991, a portion of the village was flooded following a large rockslide from a cliff above the town. Randa is a two-hour hike from the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, the world's longest simple suspension bridge for pedestrians. It was opened in 2017 as part of the ''Europaweg'', the scenic hiking route between Grächen and Zermatt. Geography Randa has an area, , of . Of this area, 8.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
