Alpi Cusiane


The Alpi Cusiane are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located in Piemonte.

Etymology

Alpi Cusiane literally means Alps of Cusio; Cusio is the geographical and historical area surrounding Lake of Orta, nowadays part of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

Geography

Administratively the westernmost part of the range belongs to the province of Vercelli, the southern part to province of Novara and the eastern and central ones to province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

Borders

Borders of the Alpi Cusiane are :
According to SOIUSA the mountain range is an Alpine supergroup classified in the following way:
The Alpi Cusiane are divided into two Alpine groups, none of them further subdivided in subgroups :
These two groups are connected by a low saddle not faraway from Gozzano.

Geology

From the geological point of view the Alpi Cusiane are considered part of the Prealpine zone, divided from the crystalline zone of the Alps by the Insubric line. This important geologic fault forms the border between the Adriatic plate and the European plate. Hills and mountains located south-east of the line, like the Alpi Cusiane, can be considered part of southern Apulian foreland.

Notable summits

Namemetres
Cima Altemberg2,395
Monte Capio2,172
Massa del Turlo1,960
Mottarone1,491

Winter sports

In the Alpi Cusiane is located the ski resort of Mottarone, with 21 km of downhill skiing slopes; it's connected with Stresa by a cableway.

Maps