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For other uses, see Monte Rosa (disambiguation).
Dufourspitze (in German, lit. Dufour Peak) , Pointe Dufour (in French), Punta Dufour (in Italian), or Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe[1] and the highest of Switzerland, at a height of approximately 4,634 m (15,203 ft). The mountain, which is part of the Pennine Alps in southern Valais, is the culminating point of the Monte Rosa Massif, consisting of several summits over 4,500 metres lying on the border between Italy and Switzerland. While the eastern side forms the tallest wall in the Alps[2], the western side of Monte Rosa gives birth to the Gorner Glacier, the second largest glacier in the Alps. Other high summits of the Swiss Alps, including the Matterhorn, are located within a few tens of kilometres away.
[edit] Naming The mountain was exceptionally renamed Dufourspitze (French: Pointe Dufour, Italian: Punta Dufour, Romansh: Piz da Dufour) by the Swiss Federal Council on January 28, 1863, in honor of Guillaume-Henri Dufour—a Swiss engineer, co-founder of the Red Cross and army officer who led the Sonderbund campaign— following the completion of the Dufour Map, a series of military topographical maps created under the command of Dufour. Before 1863 the summit was known under the names Höchste Spitze and Gornerhorn (in German, resp. Highest Peak and Largest mountain).[3] The name gorner is still used only for the western ridge (Gornergrat) and glacier (Gornergletscher). The Italian name Monte Rosa, which is also used to designate the massif, is derived from a Franco-Provençal dialect word rouese meaning glacier.[4] On old maps as late as 1740 the mountain was named Monte Bosa and even Monte Biosa by the inhabitants of Val Sesia. The name Mon Boso which appears in Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks probably designated the same mountain.[5] [edit] Altitude and climateThe Swiss national map gives an altitude of 4,633.9 m for the summit (2007).[6] A recent work (2000) involving universities and the offices of cartography of Italy and Switzerland was made in order to record a more precise altitude for Monte Rosa. The result was 4,635.25 metres (15,208 ft) from the Italian side and 4,634.97 metres (15,207 ft) from the Swiss side, with a margin of error of 0.1 m.[7] Being the highest point in Switzerland, the Dufourspitze is also one of the most extreme places. The average air pressure is about half of that of the sea level (56%) and the temperature can reach as low as −40 °C (−40 °F).[8] The snow line is located at about 3,000 metres. [edit] Geographic setting and descriptionSee also: Monte Rosa Massif    The Dufourspitze lies in the municipality of Zermatt, on the south-eastern side of the Swiss canton of Valais. However the mountain lies a little closer to the village of Macugnaga, on the Italian eastern side (8 km) than to the village of Zermatt on the western side (12 km). Other inhabited regions close to the massif are the valleys of Alagna and Gressoney both on the Italian southern side. The west and north side greatly differs from the south and east side. The former is almost completely covered by large glaciers, tributaries of the 57 km² large Gorner Glacier, descending progressively with gentle slopes. Thus the valley is uninhabitated and Zermatt, the first settlement, lies far away from the summit. The latter is a 2-km-high wall lying above Macugnaga. The summit is mainly covered by eternal snows and glaciers, except for its highest point which is a rocky ridge orientated west–east, near to and perpendicular to the main watershed between Switzerland and Italy (Rhône River and Po River basins on the Swiss and Italian side respectively). The connecting point between them is the Grenzgipfel, the highest summit on the Italian side. Thus Monte Rosa is the highest mountain whose summit is not on the main alpine watershed. The Silbersattel and Grenzsattel are the passes located north and south to the summit. The Dufourspitze has many subpeaks (located on the border) and, unlike Mont Blanc, their altitude (around 4,500 m) is not far lower than the summit itself. The most important (on the UIAA official list) are:
Monte Rosa is one of the high mountains surrounding the 40 km long Matter valley south of Visp. On the west are Lyskamm, Zwillinge, the Breithorn and the Matterhorn; on the north are the Weisshorn and the Dom. The Gornergrat summit, lying 8 km on the north-west at 3,100 metres, is a popular view point of the massif since it is accessible by train from Zermatt, using the highest open air railway line in Europe. Because of the low elevation of the mountains to the south, the 2,165 m (7,103 ft) prominence of Monte Rosa is well visible from the plains of Lombardy. [edit] GeologyThe entire massif consists mainly of granite and granite gneiss (a metamorphic rock with foliations). The Monte Rosa nappe lies below the Zermatt-Saas zone and is part of the Penninic nappes in the Briançonnais microcontinent zone. The deformation of the Monte Rosa granites indicates a depth of subduction of about 60 km. They were brought to the surface by tectonic uplift, which still continues today. [edit] HistorySee also: Exploration of the High Alps [edit] Early explorationAt the end of the 15th century Leonardo da Vinci probably visited the Italian side of Monte Rosa and explored the mountain, even though the exact summit or place he reached is unknown. He made some observations about the existing permanent snows and the darkness of the sky, showing that he reached high altitude. He wrote:
An attempt was made from Macugna by the Count Morozza della Rocca in 1787. He reached the place of the actual Marinelli hut on the east face, but still 1,500 m below the summit. The route on the east face will be opened only in 1873. In 1789 Horace-Bénédict de Saussure climbed the Pizzo Bianco[10], a summit east of Monte Rosa, in order to study its eastern wall and to try to find a way to the top, but without success. A major ascent was made in the year 1820 by Joseph Zumstein and party on a lower summit, the Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m). During the expedition they thought they had climbed the true highest peak, but when they reached the summit they found out it was only a subpeak of the massif.[11] [edit] First ascents The first approaches to the summit were made from the west slopes. The Silbersattel (4,510 m) was reached in 1847 by V. Puisieux, E. Ordinaire and guides J. Brantschen, J. Moser, M. and J. Zumtaugwald.[11] On September 1854, the brothers Christopher, Edmund and James G. Smyth with guides Ulrich Lauener climbed (from the Silbersattel) a 4,630 m high minor summit located 100 m east of the Dufourspitze, now called Ostspitze. The brothers Smith were convinced they had climbed the highest peak because at the time it was unclear where exactly was the highest point.[11]  The first complete ascent was made from Zermatt on August 1, 1855 by John Birkbeck, Charles Hudson, Christopher Smyth, James G. Smyth, Edward Stephenson with the guides Matthäus Zumtaugwald and Johannes Zumtaugwald (from Zermatt) and Ulrich Lauener (from Lauterbrunnen). They followed the already opened route to the Ostspitze by the Silbersattel. On the summits, instead of turning back on the same way, they decided to continue on the unexplored western ridge and thus passed the thrue summit before going down to Zermatt. One of the climbers, Charles Hudson, will die 10 years later during the first ascent of the Matterhorn.[11] John Tyndall in addition to be a prominent physicist, was an accomplished mountaineer. According to his account (Glaciers of the Alps), in 1858 he made the first solo ascent. Tyndall had already summited the Dufourspitze in a guided group one week before but he made an unplanned second summit solo on 17 August.[11]
 Among mountain guides, the eastern wall had the reputation of being unconquerable. Ferdinand Imseng was convinced that the central couloir, which will be named Marinelli couloir later, was feasible. He succeeded to convince other climbers and, on 22 July, 1872, Richard Pendlebury, William and Charles Taylor, Ferdinand Imseng, Gabriel Spechtenhauser and Giovanni Oberto began the ascent from Macugnaga. They were aware of the objective dangers of the wall but they decided to go as high as possible, without compromising their lives. After a bivouac on the actual Marinelli hut emplacement, they headed towards the Grenzsattel. Suddenly, when they arrived near the Grenzsattel, an avalanche started and rivers of snow began to flow everywhere around the climbers. They were able to reach the safe rocks of the Grenzgipfel just in time to save their lives. They finally reached the summit and descended to Riffelalp on the other side, concluding a 18 hours journey.[11] This ascent made Ferdinand Imseng a famous mountain guide. He lost his life in 1881 on the east wall during the third ascent with Damiano Marinelli and guide P. Pedranzini. On 8 August, they were caught by an avalanche and brought 1,200 metres down. The accident was reported by a porter who survived. The couloir was then named Marinelli."[11] [edit] Other ascentsIn 1889 Achille Ratti, who became later Pope Pius XI, made the first traverse from Macugnaga to Zermatt by the Zumsteinjoch. After climbing the Dufourspitze, he spent the night on the summit with his companions.[13]. Visiting Zermatt in 1894, the young Winston Churchill insisted on an ascent of Monte Rosa rather than of the Matterhorn, not only because of its superior height but also because the guides' fee was substantially less.[14] More recently, on August 1 (which happens to be the Swiss National Day), 2005, the Swiss Minister of Treasure Joseph Deiss climbed the Dufourspitze. The expedition marked the 150th anniversary of the first ascent.[15] [edit] Huts and climbing routes The Monte Rosa Hut (2,795 m) is the only mountain hut in the massif owned by the Swiss Alpine Club. It is situated on the Plattje, a rocky island between the Gorner and Grenz glaciers. It is accessible from Rotenboden, a station on the Gornergratbahn line. The hut was inaugurated in 1894 and rebuild in 1940. In 2009 a new high technology mountain hut was inaugurated. The five-story crystal - shaped building is designed to obtain 90 per cent of its power needs from the sun and will be used as a research station. The other huts are owned by the Italian Alpine Club, among them the Regina Margherita Hut located at 4,559 metres on the Signalkuppe. Inaugurated in 1893 and replaced in 1979, it is still the highest construction in Europe, which include a laboratory and observatory. Other huts owned by the Italian Alpine Club are the Marinelli Hut (3,036 m), used for the ascent of the east face, and the Bivacco Città di Gallarate (3,960 m), located near the summit of the Jägerhorn. [edit] Normal routeThe normal route to the summit start from the Monte Rosa Hut. The normal route is mainly a glacier itinerary on the west slopes of Monte Rosa (Monte Rosa Glacier), with the final rocky west ridge to the summit. Although the itinerary itself is not difficult, it requires physical endurance and a good acclimatization. [edit] Marinelli couloirThe route starts from the Marinelli Hut and follows the steep Marinelli couloir on the east face. It is a long and dangerous route and has to be ascended very early in the morning on cold days in order to decrease the risk of avalanches. [edit] Timeline
[edit] Panorama [edit] See also[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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