Pennine Alps

{{Short description|Mountain range in the western Alps within Italy and Switzerland}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Pennine Alps

| other_name = {{langx|fr|Alpes Pennines}}, {{langx|de|Walliser Alpen}}, {{langx|it|Alpi Pennine}}, {{langx|la|Alpes Poeninae}}

| photo = Valais Alps.jpg

| photo_caption = View of Pennine Alps from Riederalp

| country_type = Countries

| country = {{hlist|Italy|Switzerland}}

| subdivision1_type = Regions/Canton

| subdivision1 = {{hlist|Aosta Valley|Piedmont|Valais}}

| parent = Alps

| borders_on = {{hlist|Bernese Alps|Graian Alps|Lepontine Alps|Po Valley}}

| length_km =

| length_orientation =

| width_km =

| width_orientation =

| geology =

| orogeny =

| highest = {{langx|it|Punta Dufour}}/{{langx|de|Dufourspitze}}

| elevation_m = 4,634

| range_coordinates = {{Coord|46|05|N|7|50|E|type:mountain_region:CH_scale:300000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates = {{Coord|45|56|12|N|7|52|00|E|type:mountain_region:CH_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}}

| map_image = File:Walliser Alpen.png

| map_caption = Map of Pennine Alps and their location in Switzerland and Italy (red)

}}

The Pennine Alps ({{langx|fr|Alpes Pennines}}, {{langx|de|Walliser Alpen}}, {{langx|it|Alpi Pennine}}, {{langx|la|Alpes Poeninae}}), sometimes referred to as the Valais Alps (which are just the Northern Swiss part of the Pennine Alps), are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Italy (the Aosta Valley and Piedmont) and Switzerland (Valais).

The Pennine Alps are amongst the three highest major subranges of the Alps, together with the Bernese Alps and the Graian Alps that include the Mont Blanc massif.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uc6pDwAAQBAJ | title=Natural Wonders of the World | publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited | year=2017 | pages=138 | isbn=9780241428436 |quote=The Alps contain many subranges, some of which are mapped below. The loftiest are the Pennine Alps, which contain 13 of the highest 20 alpine peaks; the Bernese Alps contain four; and the Mont Blanc Massif in the Graian Alps has three.}}

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 as Matterhorn or 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 are often located outside the main chain and found themselves between the northern valleys (Grand Combin, Weisshorn, Mischabel, Weissmies).

Peaks

File:2016 1129 KL1556 Monte Rosa Matterhorn.jpg|Aerial view of the Pennine Alps from a plane above Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco)

File:MonteRosa004.jpg|Monte Rosa

File:Matterhornnorth.jpg|Matterhorn (Cervino)

The chief peaks of the Pennine Alps are:

class="wikitable sortable"

! align=left | Name

! align=left | Height

Dufourspitze

| {{convert|4634|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Nordend

| {{convert|4608|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Zumsteinspitze

| {{convert|4563|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Signalkuppe

| {{convert|4554|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Dom

| {{convert|4546|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Liskamm

| {{convert|4532|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Weisshorn

| {{convert|4505|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Täschhorn

| {{convert|4491|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Matterhorn

| {{convert|4478|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Parrotspitze

| {{convert|4434|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Dent Blanche

| {{convert|4357|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Nadelhorn

| {{convert|4327|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Grand Combin

| {{convert|4309|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Lenzspitze

| {{convert|4294|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Stecknadelhorn

| {{convert|4240|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Castor

| {{convert|4225|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Zinalrothorn

| {{convert|4221|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Hohberghorn

| {{convert|4218|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Alphubel

| {{convert|4206|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Rimpfischhorn

| {{convert|4199|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Strahlhorn

| {{convert|4190|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Dent d'Hérens

| {{convert|4173|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Breithorn

| {{convert|4160|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Bishorn

| {{convert|4151|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Breithornzwillinge

| {{convert|4138|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pollux

| {{convert|4089|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Ober Gabelhorn

| {{convert|4063|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Dürrenhorn

| {{convert|4035|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Allalinhorn

| {{convert|4027|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Weissmies

| {{convert|4013|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Lagginhorn

| {{convert|4010|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Fletschhorn

| {{convert|3985|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Adlerhorn

| {{convert|3988|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Schalihorn

| {{convert|3974|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Jägerhorn

| {{convert|3970|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Grand Cornier

| {{convert|3962|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Ulrichshorn

| {{convert|3925|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Wellenkuppe

| {{convert|3898|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Feechopf

| {{convert|3888|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Klein Matterhorn

| {{convert|3883|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pointe du Mountet

| {{convert|3877|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

La Ruinette

| {{convert|3875|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! align=left | Name

! align=left | Height

Mont Blanc de Cheilon

| {{convert|3870|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Bouquetins

| {{convert|3838|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Tour de Boussine

| {{convert|3833|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Brunegghorn

| {{convert|3831|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Balfrin

| {{convert|3796|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Cima di Jazzi

| {{convert|3792|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pigne d'Arolla

| {{convert|3787|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Vélan

| {{convert|3765|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Kinhorn

| {{convert|3750|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

L'Évêque

| {{convert|3738|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Tête Blanche

| {{convert|3710|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Pleureur

| {{convert|3706|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Aiguille de la Tsa

| {{convert|3668|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Besso

| {{convert|3667|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Collon

| {{convert|3637|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Les Diablons

| {{convert|3605|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pointes de Mourti

| {{convert|3564|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Ritord

| {{convert|3556|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Dents de Bertol

| {{convert|3547|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Gelé

| {{convert|3518|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Petite Aiguille

| {{convert|3517|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Becca di Luseney

| {{convert|3506|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Château des Dames

| {{convert|3489|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Tällihorn

| {{convert|3448|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pigne de la Lé

| {{convert|3396|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Grand Tournalin

| {{convert|3379|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Rosablanche

| {{convert|3348|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Wasuhorn

| {{convert|3343|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Avril

| {{convert|3341|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Almagellhorn

| {{convert|3327|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Grande Rochère

| {{convert|3326|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Corno Bianco

| {{convert|3320|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Testa Grigia

| {{convert|3315|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

La Cassorte

| {{convert|3301|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Böshorn

| {{convert|3268|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Parrain

| {{convert|3259|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Sasseneire

| {{convert|3259|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Bösentrift

| {{convert|3248|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Festihorn

| {{convert|3248|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Grand Golliat

| {{convert|3240|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Jazzihorn

| {{convert|3227|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pizzo Bianco

| {{convert|3216|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont de la Gouille

| {{convert|3212|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Latelhorn

| {{convert|3207|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Jegihorn

| {{convert|3206|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! align=left | Name

! align=left | Height

Schwarzhorn

| {{convert|3204|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Lammenhorn

| {{convert|3190|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Gornergrat

| {{convert|3136|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pointe d'Ar Pitetta

| {{convert|3133|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Corno di Faller

| {{convert|3128|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Frilihorn

| {{convert|3124|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Rogneux

| {{convert|3084|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Boudri

| {{convert|3070|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Néry

| {{convert|3070|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Seetalhorn

| {{convert|3037|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Bella Tola

| {{convert|3028|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Corno Bussola

| {{convert|3023|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Toûno

| {{convert|3018|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Sparruhorn

| {{convert|2988|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Monte Tagliaferro

| {{convert|2964|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pointe de Barasson

| {{convert|2963|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Mont Blava

| {{convert|2932|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Riffelhorn

| {{convert|2931|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Palanche de la Cretta

| {{convert|2927|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Bec de la Montau

| {{convert|2922|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Ochsehorn

| {{convert|2912|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Signalhorn

| {{convert|2911|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Sex de Marinda

| {{convert|2906|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Aiguille des Angroniettes

| {{convert|2885|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Balmahorn

| {{convert|2870|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Roc d'Orzival

| {{convert|2853|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Le Mourin

| {{convert|2766|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Pletschuhorn

| {{convert|2751|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Becca de Corbassière

| {{convert|2749|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Cima del Rosso

| {{convert|2624|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Wenghorn

| {{convert|2587|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Cima di Bo

| {{convert|2556|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Ergischhorn

| {{convert|2526|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Glishorn

| {{convert|2525|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Crêta de Vella

| {{convert|2519|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Six Blanc

| {{convert|2445|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Cima Verosso

| {{convert|2444|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Guggilihorn

| {{convert|2351|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Testa di Comagna

| {{convert|2106|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Passes

Image:Great St Bernard-700px.jpg

The chief passes of the Pennine Alps are:{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Alps |volume=1 |page=743 |first=William Augustus Brevoort |last=Coolidge}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! Mountain pass

! location

! type

! colspan=2 | 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 [http://www.parks.it/parco.alta.valsesia/ www.parks.it] (accessed in April 2012) the Riserva Naturale Mont Mars (390 ha - Aosta Valley, IT) Parco del Mont Avic park site on [http://www.parks.it/riserva.mont.mars/ www.parks.it] (accessed in April 2012) and the Regional park of Binn valley (15,891 ha - Valais, CH),Ein regionaler Naturpark, park site on [http://www.landschaftspark-binntal.ch/ www.landschaftspark-binntal.ch] (accessed in April 2012) have been established on both sides of the main water divide.

Maps

Swiss official cartography (Swiss Federal Office of Topography - Swisstopo); on-line version: [http://map.geo.admin.ch/ map.geo.admin.ch]
Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: [http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/viewer/ www.pcn.minambiente.it]