The Pennine Alps (, , , ), are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. Sometimes referred to as the Valais Alps (when applied to the northern Swiss part of the Pennines), they are located in the canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland and in the Aosta Valley and Piedmont of Italy.
Together with the Bernese Alps and the Graian Alps (that include the Mont Blanc massif), the Pennines are amongst the three highest major subranges of the Alps.
Geography The Pennine Alps straddle the border between southwestern Switzerland and northwestern Italy. The Italian side is drained by the Dora Baltea, Sesia and Toce rivers, all tributaries of the Po. The Swiss side is drained by the Rhône.
The Great St Bernard Tunnel, under the Great St Bernard Pass, spans between Martigny, Switzerland, to Aosta, Italy.
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 and contains many four-thousanders such as Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. The valleys are quite similar on both side of the border, being generally oriented perpendicular to the main chain and descending progressively into the Rhône Valley on the north and the Aosta Valley on the south. Unlike many other mountain ranges, the higher peaks (Grand Combin, Weisshorn, Mischabel, Weissmies) are often located outside the main chain, lying between the northern valleys.
Peaks
There are 126 peaks over in the Pennine Alps. The chief peaks are:
Over
Name Height Dufourspitze Nordend Zumsteinspitze Signalkuppe Dom Liskamm Weisshorn Täschhorn Matterhorn Parrotspitze Dent Blanche Nadelhorn Grand Combin Lenzspitze Stecknadelhorn Castor Zinalrothorn Hohberghorn Alphubel Rimpfischhorn Strahlhorn Dent d'Hérens Breithorn Bishorn Breithornzwillinge Pollux Ober Gabelhorn Dürrenhorn Allalinhorn Weissmies Lagginhorn Fletschhorn Adlerhorn Schalihorn Jägerhorn Grand Cornier Ulrichshorn Wellenkuppe Feechopf Klein Matterhorn Pointe du Mountet La Ruinette
Between 3,204 and 4,634 m (10,512 to 15,203 ft) Name Height Mont Blanc de Cheilon Bouquetins Tour de Boussine Brunegghorn Balfrin Cima di Jazzi Pigne d'Arolla Mont Vélan Kinhorn L'Évêque Tête Blanche Le Pleureur Aiguille de la Tsa Besso Mont Collon Les Diablons Pointes de Mourti Le Ritord Dents de Bertol Mont Gelé Petite Aiguille Becca di Luseney Château des Dames Tällihorn Pigne de la Lé Grand Tournalin Rosablanche Wasuhorn Mont Avril Almagellhorn Grande Rochère Corno Bianco Testa Grigia La Cassorte Böshorn Le Parrain Sasseneire Bösentrift Festihorn Grand Golliat Jazzihorn Pizzo Bianco Mont de la Gouille Latelhorn Jegihorn Schwarzhorn
Between 2,106 and 3,190 m (6,909 to 10,466 ft) Name Height Lammenhorn Gornergrat Pointe d'Ar Pitetta Corno di Faller Frilihorn Mont Rogneux Le Boudri Mont Néry Seetalhorn Bella Tola Corno Bussola Le Toûno Sparruhorn Monte Tagliaferro Pointe de Barasson Mont Blava Riffelhorn Palanche de la Cretta Bec de la Montau Ochsehorn Signalhorn Sex de Marinda Aiguille des Angroniettes Balmahorn Roc d'Orzival Le Mourin Pletschuhorn Becca de Corbassière Cima del Rosso Wenghorn Cima di Bo Ergischhorn Glishorn Crêta de Vella Six Blanc Cima Verosso Guggilihorn Testa di Comagna
Glaciers
Main glaciers:
Gorner Glacier Corbassière Glacier Findel Glacier Zmutt Glacier Zinal Glacier Otemma Glacier Allalin Glacier Ferpècle Glacier Fee Glacier Mont Miné Glacier Ried Glacier Turtmann Glacier Moiry Glacier Arolla Glacier Moming Glacier Cheilon Glacier Rossbode Glacier
Passes
The chief passes of the Pennine Alps are:
Mountain pass location type elevation Sesiajoch Zermatt to Alagna snow 4,424 14,515 Domjoch Randa to Saas-Fee snow 4,286 14,062 Lisjoch Zermatt to Gressoney-La-Trinité snow 4,277 14,033 Mischabeljoch Zermatt to Saas-Fee snow 3,856 12,651 Alphubel Pass Zermatt to Saas-Fee snow 3,802 12,474 Adler Pass Zermatt to Saas-Fee snow 3,798 12,461 Moming Pass Zermatt to Zinal snow 3,745 12,287 Schwarztor Zermatt to Ayas snow 3,741 12,274 Ried Pass Sankt-Niklaus to Saas-Fee snow 3,597 11,800 Neues Weisstor Zermatt to Macugnaga snow 3,580 11,746 Allalin Pass Zermatt to Saas-Fee snow 3,570 11,713 Col de Valpelline Zermatt to Aosta snow 3,562 11,687 Biesjoch Randa to Turtmann snow 3,549 11,644 Triftjoch Zermatt to Zinal snow 3,540 11,615 Col du Sonadon Bourg-Saint-Pierre to the Val de Bagnes snow 3,489 11,447 Col d'Herens Zermatt to Evolène snow 3,480 11,418 Col Durand Zermatt to Zinal snow 3,474 11,398 Col des Maisons Blanches Bourg-Saint-Pierre to the Val de Bagnes snow 3,426 11,241 Col de Bertol Arolla to the Col d'Herens snow 3,414 11,200 Col du Mont Rouge Val de Bagnes to the Val d'Hérémence snow 3,341 10,962 Theodulpass Zermatt to Valtournenche snow 3,322 10,899 Col de Tracuit Zinal to Turtmann snow 3,252 10,670 Zwischbergen Pass Saas-Fee to Gondo snow 3,248 10,657 Col d'Oren Val de Bagnes to the Valpelline snow 3,242 10,637 Col de Seilon Val de Bagnes to the Val d'Hérémence snow 3,200 10,499 Col du Cret Val de Bagnes to the Val d'Hérémence snow 3,148 10,329 Col de Valcournera Valtournenche to the Valpelline snow 3,147 10,325 Col de Collon Arolla to Aosta snow 3,130 10,270 Col de Valsorey Bourg-Saint-Pierre to Aosta snow 3,113 10'214 Col de Chermontane Val de Bagnes to Arolla snow 3084 10,119 Cimes Blanches Valtournenche to Ayas bridle path 2,980 9,777 Col de Torrent Evolène to the Val de Torrent bridle path 2,924 9,593 Augstbord Pass Sankt-Niklaus to Turtmann bridle path 2,893 9,492 Col de Crête Sèche Val de Bagnes to the Valpelline snow 2,888 9,475 Col d'Olen Alagna to Gressoney bridle path 2,871 9,420 Monte Moro Saas-Fee to Macugnaga bridle path 2,862 9,390 Pas de Chevres Arolla to the Val d'Hérémence footpath 2,851 9,354 Antrona Pass Saas-Fee to Antrona bridle path 2,844 9,331 Col de Sorebois Zinal to the Val de Torrent bridle path 2,825 9,269 Col de Vessona Valpelline to Nus footpath 2,794 9,167 Fenêtre de Durand Val de Bagnes to Aosta bridle path 2,786 9,141 Z'Meiden Pass Zinal to Turtmann bridle path 2,772 9,095 Turlo Pass Alagna to Macugnaga footpath 2,736 8,977 Fenêtre de Ferret Great St Bernard to the Swiss Val Ferret bridle path 2,699 8,855 Bettaforca PassHilary Sharp, Tour of Monte Rosa: A Trekker's Guide. (Bättforko) Ayas to Gressoney-La-Trinité bridle path 2,676 8,780 Col Serena Great St Bernard to Morgex footpath 2,538 8,327 Col Ferret Courmayeur to Orsières bridle path 2,533 8,311 Col de Valdobbia Gressoney to the Val Sesia bridle path 2,479 8,134 Great St Bernard Martigny to Aosta road 2,472 8,111 Col de Moud Alagna to Rima bridle path 2,323 7,622 Col d'Egua Rima to the Valle Anzasca bridle path 2,236 7,336 Simplon Pass Brig to Domodossola road 2,009 6,592 Bocchetta del Croso Piedicavallo to Valsesia bridle path 1,941 6,374 Baranca Pass Varallo to the Val Anzasca bridle path 1,820 5,971
Nature conservation Some regional nature parks, like the Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia (6,511 ha - Piedmont, IT),Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia site on www.parks.it (accessed in April 2012) the Mont Mars Nature Reserve (390 ha - Aosta Valley, IT)Mont Mars nature reserve website on www.lovevda.it (accessed in April 2012) and the Regional park of Binn valley (15,891 ha - Valais, CH),Ein regionaler Naturpark, park site on www.landschaftspark-binntal.ch (accessed in April 2012) have been established on both sides of the main water divide.
Maps
See also Alpi Cusiane Biellese Alps Swiss Alps SOIUSA Western Alps
Maps Swiss official cartography (Swiss Federal Office of Topography - Swisstopo); on-line version: map.geo.admin.ch Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it
References