The Bristen (3,073 m) 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 (topography), summit area, and ...

in the

Glarus Alps The Glarus Alps (german: Glarner Alpen) are a mountain range in central Switzerland. They are bordered by the Uri Alps and the Schwyz Alps to the west, the Lepontine Alps to the south, the Appenzell Alps to the northeast. The eastern part of th ...

, overlooking the valley of the

Reuss Reuss may refer to: *Reuss (surname) *Reuss (river) in Switzerland *Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss *Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line (House of Reuss), members incl ...

and located to the south of

Amsteg Silenen is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. Geography Silenen municipality comprises the villages of Silenen (divided into three parts, Dörfli, Russ, Rusli), Amsteg, and Acherli, besides numerous smaller hamlets or dispersed ...

in the canton 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 ...

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 ...

. The mountain is located about four kilometres north of

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 ...

and the border with Graubünden. The Bristen is considered one of the main

landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

of the

Canton of Uri The canton of Uri (german: Kanton Uri rm, Chantun Uri; french: Canton d'Uri; it, Canton Uri) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territ ...

Geographic setting and description

The Bristen is located about three kilometers to the south of the village also called Bristen in 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 a h ...

and about four kilometers north of

, with the Portlilücke (2'506 m) in between. An

arête An arête ( ) is a narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequen ...

on the north side of the

is divided after 200 meters into the northern arête and the northeastern arête. Located below the northern arête on 2'095 m is the Bristensee - two hectare wide and 6,5 meters deep. On the western side of the

a steep arête leads down to the Fellital, the southern side is marked by another arête leading to the Zwächten (2'853 m), which goes further to the Portlilücke. To the east of the Bristen, on 2'052 m lies the Etzlihütte.

Geology

Geologically the Bristen belongs to the

aarmassif The Aarmassif or Aaremassif (German: ''Aarmassiv'') is a geology, geologic massif in the Swiss Alps. It contains a number of large mountain chains and parts of mountain chains. Name The massif is named after the Aar, a river that has its source ...

. The southern part of the mountain consists of several different types of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

s, among them

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...

and

amphibolite Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose (flaky ...

. Further to the south the typical aare-granite can be found. For

amateur geology Amateur geology or rock collecting (also referred to as rockhounding in the United States and Canada) is the non-professional study and hobby of collecting rocks and minerals or fossil specimens from the natural environment.Sinkankas, John. Minera ...

the region around the Bristen is interesting, as it is famous for its many different types of

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

and

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...

References

External links

Bristen on Summitpost

{{Authority control Mountains of the Alps Alpine three-thousanders Mountains of the canton of Uri Mountains of Switzerland