Rheinwaldhorn

Rheinwaldhorn
Adula
Rheinwaldhorn, February 2006
Highest point
Elevation3,402 m (11,161 ft)
Prominence1,337 m (4,386 ft)[1]
Parent peakPiz Kesch
Isolation35.1 km (21.8 mi)[2]
ListingCanton high point,
Alpine mountains above 3000 m
Coordinates46°29′37″N 9°02′24″E / 46.49361°N 9.04000°E / 46.49361; 9.04000
Geography
Rheinwaldhorn is located in Switzerland
Rheinwaldhorn
Rheinwaldhorn
Location in Switzerland
LocationTicino, Graubünden
Switzerland
Parent rangeLepontine Alps
Climbing
First ascent1789 by Placidus a Spescha

The Rheinwaldhorn (Italian: Adula) is the highest point in the Swiss canton of Ticino at 3,402 metres above sea level. It lies on the border between the cantons of Graubünden and Ticino, in the Adula massif, part of the St. Gotthard massif of the Adula Alps in southern Switzerland.

The mountain is known by different names, in German as Rheinwaldhorn or Adulahorn, in Italian as l'Adula or Piz Valrhein,[3][4] in Romansh as Piz Valragn. The group of the snowy peaks lying between the two principal branches of the Rhine were known in the Middle Ages by the names Mons Aquila or Mons Avium. From the Romansh form of the first comes the name Adula, which is used to designate the north-eastern portion of the Lepontine Alps.[5] The German name "Rheinwaldhorn" comes from the Rheinwald region.

  1. ^ Retrieved from the Swisstopo topographic maps. The key col is the San Bernardino Pass (2,065 m).
  2. ^ Retrieved from Google Earth. The nearest point of higher elevation is south of the Bifertenstock.
  3. ^ Bollettino del Club alpino italiano (Club alpino italiano, 1889) https://books.google.com/books?id=BNLNAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA106 p. 106
  4. ^ Bergseen der italienischen Schweiz laghettialpini.ch. Retrieved on 2010-02-09
  5. ^ John Ball, The Alpine guide, Central Alps, 1866, London