The 'Lepontine Alps' are a mountain range in the central part of the
Alps. They are located in
Switzerland (
Valais,
Ticino and
Graubünden) and
Italy (
Piedmont). The
Furka Pass,
St Gotthard Pass and the upper
Rhône valley separate them from the
Bernese Alps; the upper
Rhône valley separates them from the
Urner Alps; the
Simplon Pass separates them from the
Pennine Alps; the
Vorderrhein valley and the
Oberalp Pass separate them from the
Glarus Alps; the
Splügen Pass separates them from the
Central Eastern Alps (
Oberhalbstein Range).
The Lepontine Alps are drained by the rivers
Rhône in the west,
Reuss in the north,
Rhine (Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein) in the east and
Ticino and
Toce in the south.
The
Simplon rail tunnel, which leads from
Brig to
Domodossola, the
St Gotthard rail and highway tunnels (from
Andermatt to
Airolo) and the
San Bernardino Tunnel are important transport arteries.
The eastern portion of the Lepontine Alps, from the
St Gotthard Pass to the
Splügen Pass, is sometimes named the 'Adula Alps'.
List of peaks
The chief peaks of the Lepontine Alps are:
| Name | Elevation
|
|---|
| m | ft
|
|---|
Monte Leone
| 3,561 | 11,684
|
Rheinwaldhorn
| 3,402 | 11,149
|
Guferhorn
| 3,393 | 11,132
|
Blindenhorn
| 3,384 | 11,103
|
Basodino
| 3,276 | 10,749
|
Tambohorn
| 3,276 | 10,749
|
Helsenhorn
| 3,274 | 10,742
|
Wasenhorn
| 3,255 | 10,680
|
Ofenhorn
| 3,242 | 10,637
|
Cherbadung
| 3,213 | 10,542
|
Piz Medel
| 3,203 | 10,509
|
Scopi
| 3,200 | 10,499
|
Pizzo Rotondo
| 3,197 | 10,489
|
Pizzo dei Piani
| 3,158 | 10,361
|
Piz Terri
| 3,151 | 10,331
|
Piz Aul
| 3,124 | 10,250
|
Pizzo di Pesciora
| 3,123 | 10,247
|
Wyttenwasserstock
| 3,084 | 10,119
|
Campo Tencia
| 3,075 | 10,089
|
Leckihorn
| 3,069 | 10,069
|
Bruschghorn
| 3,054 | 10,020
|
Alperschellihorn
| 3,045 | 9,991
|
Piz Blas
| 3,023 | 9,918
|
Monte Giove
| 3,010 | 9,876
|
Pizzo Centrale
| 3,003 | 9,853
|
Pizzas d'Annarosa
| 3,002 | 9,850
|
Piz Beverin
| 3,000 | 9,843
|
Weisshorn (Splugen)
| 2,992 | 9,817
|
Pizzo Lucendro
| 2,959 | 9,708
|
Piz Tomul
| 2,949 | 9,676
|
Piz Cavel
| 2,944 | 9,659
|
Barenhorn
| 2,932 | 9,620
|
Six Madun (Badus)
| 2,932 | 9,619
|
Piz Muraun
| 2,899 | 9,512
|
Zervreilerhorn
| 2,898 | 9,508
|
Monte Cistella
| 2,851 | 9,353
|
Piz Lukmanier
| 2,778 | 9,115
|
Monte Prosa
| 2,738 | 8,983
|
Pizzo Columbe
| 2,549 | 8,363
|
Monte Camoghe
| 2,226 | 7,303
|
Piz Mundaun
| 2,065 | 6,775
|
Monte Generoso
| 1,704 | 5,591
|
Monte San Salvatore
| 916 | 3,004
|
List of passes
The chief
passes of the Lepontine Alps are:
| Mountain pass | location | type | elevation
|
|---|
| m | ft
|
|---|
| Zapport Pass | Hinterrhein to Malvaglia and Biasca | snow | 3,079 | 10,103
|
| Guferlücke | Canaltal to Lentatal (near Vals, Switzerland) | snow | 2,980 | 9,777
|
| Lentalücke | Hinterrhein to Vals | snow | 2,954 | 9,692
|
| Hohsand Pass | Binn to La Frua (Toce waterfalls) | snow | 2,927 | 9,603
|
| Lecki Pass | Realp to Oberwald VS | snow | 2,912 | 9,554
|
| Passo Rotondo | Airolo to Oberwald | snow | 2,880 | 9,449
|
| Kaltwasser Pass | Simplon Hospice to Alpe Veglia | snow | 2,844 | 9,331
|
| Scaradra Pass | Vals to Olivone | foot path | 2,770 | 9,088
|
| Satteltelücke | Vals to Vrin | foot path | 2,768 | 9,082
|
| Ritter Pass | Binn to Alpe Veglia | snow | 2,692 | 8,832
|
| Cavanna Pass | Realp to Bedretto | snow | 2,611 | 8,566
|
| Scatta Minoja | Devero to Formazza | bridle path | 2,597 | 8,521
|
| Bocca di Cadlimo | Airolo to the Lukmanier Pass | foot path | 2,542 | 8,340
|
| Valserberg | Hinterrhein to Vals | bridle path | 2,507 | 8,225
|
| Safierberg | Splügen to Safien | bridle path | 2,490 | 8,170
|
| Nufenen Pass | Ulrichen to Airolo | road | 2,478 | 8,130
|
| Geisspfad Pass | Binn to Devero | foot path | 2,475 | 8,120
|
| Gries Pass | Ulrichen to La Frua | bridle path | 2,468 | 8,098
|
| Passo di Naret | Fusio to Airolo | bridle path | 2,443 | 8,015
|
| Passo Valtendra | Alpe Veglia to Devero and Baceno | bridle path | 2,431 | 7,976
|
| Diesrut Pass | Vrin to Somvix | bridle path | 2,424 | 7,953
|
| Albrun Pass | Binn to Devero and Baceno | bridle path | 2,410 | 7,907
|
| Greina Pass | Olivone to Somvix | bridle path | 2,360 | 7,743
|
| San Giacomo Pass | Airolo to La Frua | bridle path | 2,308 | 7,573
|
| Passo di Buffalora | Mesocco to the Val Calanca | foot path | 2,265 | 7,431
|
| Passo dell'Uomo | Quinto, Switzerland to the Lukmanier Pass | bridle path | 2,212 | 7,258
|
| Splügen Pass | Thusis to Chiavenna | road | 2,117 | 6,946
|
| St Gotthard Pass | Andermatt to Airolo | road | 2,114 | 6,936
|
| San Bernardino Pass | Thusis to Bellinzona | road | 2,063 | 6,769
|
| Lukmanier Pass | Disentis to Olivone | road | 1,917 | 6,289
|
References
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