Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/663

Rh ALPS 625 5. Pennine Alps. The portion of the great chain that includes the peaks of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa has always been recognised as the most important among the divisions of the Alps. This pre-eminence is due not only to its surpassing height, but to the fact that its peaks are so conspicuous. Throughout the plain of Upper Italy, from Turin to Milan, and even as far as the slopes of the Apennines, Monte Rosa, with its attendant peaks, is com monly the most remarkable object in the northern horizon ; while in western Switzerland, and as far westward as the heights above Lyons, the dome of Mont Blanc, rising in the distant eastern horizon, attracts the frequent attention alike of natives and strangers. Some doubts may arise as to the precise limits that should be assigned to this group. Towards the north-east it is generally agreed that the Simplon Pass is the most natural limit. In the opposite direction most writers have fixed on the Col de Bonhomme, south-west of Mont Blanc, as the proper boundary; but it seems reasonable in a general arrangement to regard the range extending from the last-named pass to Grand Coeur, in the valley of the Isere, as a south-western prolongation of the range of Mont Blanc. From the portion of the main chain connecting the Mont Combin with Monte Rosa, numerous branches, with peaks that rival these in height, diverge northward. The secondary ranges that extend on the side of Italy, southward and eastward from Monte Rosa, are much inferior in altitude. On the north and west sides of Mont Blanc an extensive mountain district, including the French department of Haute Savoie, must be considered as an appendage to the group of the Pennine Alps. On the south side, the short range extending parallel to that of Mont Blanc, from Courmayeur to the Val de Bellaval, corresponding to the range of the Aiguilles Rouges and the Brevent, on the opposite side, mav best be included within the group of the Pennine Alps. Chief Peaks of the Pennine Alps. Fletschhorn (Laquinhorn) 13,176 Grauhaupt 10,702 Corno Bianco 11,014 Pointe de Salles about 10,200 Buet 10,207 Tour Salliere 10,587 Dent du Midi 10,450 Pigne d Arolla 12,471 Rouinette 12,727 Mont Blanc de Cheillon ... 12,700 Dent Blanche 14,318 Grand Cornier 13,022 Sasseneire 10,692 Gabelhorn 13,363 Rothhom, or Morning 13,855 Weisshorn 14,804 Strahlhorn 13,750 Mischabelhorner (Dom) ... 14,935 Cima des Fours 12,615 Aiguille de Trelatete 12,907 Aiguille de Bionnassay 13,324 Mont Blanc (Calotte) 15,781 Aiguille Verte 13,527 Grandes Jorasses 13,799 Aiguille d Argentiere 12,796 Grande Rossere 10,904 Mont Velan 12,353 Grand Combin 14,1(54 MontGele 11,539 Mont Colon 12,264 Dent d He&quot;rens 13,714 Bee de Luseney 12,350 Matterliorn, orMontCervin 14,780 Breithorn 13,685 Lyskaram 14,889 Mte. Rosa (highest peak)... 15,217 Weissmies 13,225 Chief Passes of the Pennine Alps. Col de Bonhomme (Contamines to Chapiu), bridle-path 8,195 Col de la Seigne (Chapiu to Courmayeur), bridle-path 8,327 Col du Mont Tondu (Contamines to Allee Blanche), glacier 9,204 Col de Miage (Contamiues to Courmayeur), glacier 11,076 Col du Geant (Chamouni to Courmayeur), glacier 11,030 Col du Tour (Chamouni to Orsieres), glacier 11,213 Colde Ferrex (Courmayeur to Orsieres), bridle-path 8,320 Great St Bernard Pass (Orsieres to Aosta), bridle-path 8,120 Col de Fenetre (Chables to Aosta), bridle-path 9,141 Col de Colon (Aosta to Evolena), glacier. 10,269 Col de la Val Pellina (Aosta to Zermatt), glacier 11,687 Col de Vessona (Oyace to St Barthelemi), footpath about 8,600 Col de Vacornere (Prarayen to Val Tournanche), snow 10,335 Col de Chermontane (Chermontane to Evolena), glacier 10,349 Col d Horens (Evolena to Zermatt), glacier 11,418 Col de Torrent (Evolena to Vissoie), footpath 9,593 Pas du Bceuf (St Luc to Turtnianthal), footpath 9,154 Angstbord Pass (Griiben to St Niklaus;, bridle-path 9,515 Tri ft Joch (Zinal to Zermatt), glacier 11,614 Col de St Theodule (Zermatt to Val Tournanche), glacier 10,899 Schwarz Thor (Zermatt to Val d Ayas), glacier 12,777 Lys Joch (Zermatt to Val de Lys), glacier 14,050 Weiss Thor (Zermatt to Macugnaga), glacier 11.851 Betta Furke (Val d Ayas to Val de Lys), footpath 8,639 Col d OHen (Gressonay to Alagna), bridle-path ?,544 Col di Val Dobbia (Gressonay to Riva), bridle-path 8,360 Turlo Pass (Alagna to Macugnaga), snow 9,088 Col di Barranca (Varallo to Ponte Grande), bridle-path 5,749 Alphubel Joch (Zermatt to Saas), glacier 12,474 Adler Pass (Zermatt toDistel Alp), glacier 12,461 Monte Moro (Saas to Macugnaga), snow 9,390 Saas Pass, or Passo d Antrona (Saas to Val Antrona), glacier 9 &amp;gt;331 Zwischbergen Pass (Saas to Gondo), glacier 10,732 Simplon Pass (Brieg to Domo d Ossola), carriage road 6,595 Col de Balme (Chamouni to Martigny), bridle-path 7,231 Col d Anterne (Servoz to Sixt), bridle-path 7,612 Col de Sesaufe (Champe ry to Martigny), footpath 7,940 6. Bernese Alps. There is no considerable mass of Alpine summits whose boundaries are better denned than that which is generally known as the group of the Bernese Alps. By the number and height of the peaks, that rise far above the limits of perpetual snow, it ranks next in importance to the Pennine group ; and its position with reference to that group has largely contributed to the fame of the region which they occupy for a marvellous and almost unique combination of grandeur and variety. The most characteristic feature in the orography of Switzerland is the great valley system that extends in a nearly direct line from Martigny to Coire interrupted, it is true, by two passes (the Furka and Oberalp) of small elevation compared to the surrounding heights. On the opposite sides of this great trench the chief groups of the central Alps are arranged in masses that, amid much apparent irregularity, approach to parallelism with the direction of the central valley. Hence the traveller who attains any considerable height on either side sees over against him the dominant summits of the opposite group in constantly varying combination. The highest groups (the Pennine and Bernese) are so placed that the chief peaks on the one side are rarely more than 20 miles apart from their rivals in the opposite chain, and the projecting summits of the secondary ridges between them afford panoramic views of wonderful beauty and grandeur. What may be called the main chain of the Bernese Alps, forming the boundary between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais, extends parallel to the course of the Rhone, from the glacier which is the main source of that river, to Martigny, a distance of about 70 miles ; and we must regard as a dependency of that chain the mountain district that lies on its northern side, between the upper course of the Aar and the head of the Lake of Geneva. Desiring to adhere to the divisions of the Alps admitted by ancient geographers, many modern writers have included the Bernese group among the Lepon- tine Alps ; but this arrangement is not consistent with any rational criterion that can be applied. The only question admitting of doubt is as to the eastern limit of this group. The Aar issues from its parent glacier at a point very near to the chief source of the Rhone, and separated only by a comparatively deep and broad depression, the Grimsel Pass ; and it might appear that the Bernese Alps should be defined as the group enclosed between those rivers. But some ten miles east of the Grimsel Pass the range lying north of the great valley of Switzerland is completely cut through by the valley of the Reuss, where that stream descends towards the Lake of Lucerne through the famous defile of the Devil s Bridge; and as it would be incon venient to reckon the comparatively small group that lies between the head waters of the Reuss and those of the Aar as a separate division, we prefer to include this as a portion of the Bernese Alps. Chief Peaks of the Bernese Alps. Grand M overall 10,043 Aletschhorn 13,803 Diablerets 10,666 Jungfran 13,671 Wildhorn 10,722 Monch 13,438 Wildstrubel 10,715 ; Eiger 13,045 Balmhorn 12,100 Finsteraarhorn 14,026 Doldenhorn 11,965 Schreckhorn 13,394 Blumlis Alp (Bliimlisalp- Wetterhorn(Mittelhorn) 12,166 horn) 12.041 Rizlihorn 10,774 Bietschhorn 12,969 Eggischhorn 9,649 I. 79