Piz Morteratsch (3,751 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 area, and is usually highe ...

in the

Bernina Range The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Rhaetian Alps within the Central Eastern Alps. It is one of the highest ranges of the Alps, covered with many glaciers ...

in Switzerland. It is bordered on the east by the

Morteratsch Glacier The Morteratsch Glacier (Romansh: Vadret da Morteratsch) is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland. By area and by volume (1.2 km3), it is the third largerst glacier in the eastern alps, after th ...

and on the south-west by the Tschierva Glacier. One of the easier of the higher mountains in the range to climb, 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 ...

follows that taken by the first ascentionists C. Brügger and P. Gensler with guides Karl Emmermann and Angelo Klaingutti on 11 September 1858. Three of its ridges present greater difficulties and are highly regarded: :*South-south-east ridge (D/D+), first ascent P. J. H. Unna with guides, 1903 :*East-north-east ridge (AD), first ascent of complete ridge, Paul Schucan and A. Pfister, 10 October 1908 (the upper section had been climbed by Max Schintz with guides Alois Pollinger and his son Josef Pollinger of St. Niklaus in the canton Valais in August 1892) :*South-west ridge, (AD), first ascent by T. H. Philpott and Mrs Philpott with guides Peter Jenny and Alexander Fleury in September 1868 PizMorteratschVonNorden

The mountain is served by the Boval hut (2,495 m, open 15 March–15 May and 15 June–15 October) and the

Tschierva Hut The Tschierva Hut (German: ''Tschiervahütte'', Romansh: ''Chamanna da Tschierva'') is a mountain hut located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden at the foot of Piz Bernina, Piz Tschierva and Piz Morteratsch at the end of Val Roseg. The hut lies a ...

(2,573 m, open end of March–15 May and 15 June–15 October).

References

* Collomb, Robin, ''Bernina Alps'', Goring: West Col Productions, 1988

External links

Piz Morteratsch on SummitPost
Bernina Range Mountains of Graubünden Mountains of the Alps Alpine three-thousanders Engadin Mountains of Switzerland Samedan Pontresina {{Graubünden-mountain-stub