Western alps

This article deals with the division in terms of the division of the Alps into two parts. The western group with the tripartite division (with central Alps) see Western Alps (tripartite division) .

West-east border of the Alps

The western Alps is the part of the Alps that lies west of the line (from north to south) Lake Constance , Altrhein , Hinterrhein , Hüscherenbach , Splügenpass , Liro , Mera and Lake Como (eastern branch).

scope

The Western Alps contain all of the Alps from France and Monaco , the largest in Switzerland , and a not inconsiderable one from Italy , and are overall significantly higher than the Eastern Alps - 81 of the 82 four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps are in the Western Alps, making them the 64 highest Alpine peaks, including Mont Blanc as the highest mountain in the entire range.

The state borders largely follow the main Alpine ridge , so many of the highest peaks are on or near these borders, such as B. the Monte Rosa massif with the Dufourspitze as the highest mountain massif in Switzerland (and second highest in the Alps) on the border between Switzerland and Italy, or the Matterhorn as one of the most famous alpine peaks.

The largest mountain group in the Western Alps are the Valais Alps , which contain most of the four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps. The Bernese Alps , adjoining to the north , over whose main ridge the European main watershed runs in this area , also have a larger number of four-thousand-meter peaks and strong glaciation.

Mountain groups

Alps between Lake Constance and the Matterhorn

Alps between Lake Geneva and the Ligurian Sea

This classification follows the surface structure ( orographic ) and not geological, political or tourist conditions.

See also : List of mountain groups in the Western Alps

Alps between Lake Constance and Matterhorn (13 groups)

The mountain groups Appenzeller , Schwyzer , Emmental , Freiburg , Urner , Glarus , Bernese and Adula Alps and Gotthard group are located in the north-eastern part and entirely in Switzerland .

Further south in the Swiss-Italian border area are the Tambogruppe , Ticino and Valais Alps , to which the Leone group actually belongs, but which are treated here separately.

Alps between Lake Geneva and Ligurian Sea (18 groups)

The Bornes and Chablais Alps are located in the French-Swiss border area .

France, Italy and French-speaking Switzerland come together in the Mont-Blanc group .

The Paradiso Group is entirely located in Italy .

In the south, Italy and France meet, where the Rutor , Charbonnel and Thabor groups , as well as the Cottian , Ligurian and Maritime or Maritime Alps are located. Monaco is also in the latter.

And finally, in the west, the Bauget Alps , Vanoise , Belledonne Group , Chartreuse Group , Pelvoux , Drôme Alps , Provençal Alps and Provençal Prealps belong to France alone.

differences

At Höhne, the Leone Group is part of the Valais Alps. The Ceneri group described in the mountain album forms the tambogroup with the Varese Pre-Alps .

It should also be noted that there are also other Alpine divisions, such as B. according to SOIUSA or the SAC , which cannot or can only be compared with this with difficulty.

Navigation to the mountain groups of the Western Alps

Web links

Commons : Mountain groups of the Western Alps  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

The description given here refers to the following sources:

1. ↑ Ernst Höhne: Knaurs Lexikon für Bergfreunde / The Alps between Matterhorn and Lake Constance . Droemer Knaur, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-426-26223-1 .
2. ↑ Mountain album based on Johannes Führer in "Bergwelt" 1980, p. 38 ff.
3. ↑ Overview of the Western Alps at your-berge.de