Bernese Alps


The Bernese Alps are a mountain range of the Alps, located in western Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Berner Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Fribourg and Vaud, the latter being usually named Fribourg Alps and Vaud Alps respectively. The highest mountain in the range, the Finsteraarhorn, is also the highest point in the canton of Bern.
The Rhône valley separates them from the Chablais Alps in the west and from the Pennine Alps in the south; the upper Rhône valley separates them from the Lepontine Alps to the southeast; the Grimsel Pass and the Aare valley separates them from the Uri Alps in the east, and from the Emmental Alps in the north; their northwestern edge is not well defined, describing a line roughly from Lake Geneva to Lake Thun. The Bernese Alps are drained by the river Aare and its tributary the Saane in the north, the Rhône in the south, and the Reuss in the east.

Geography

One of the most prominent Alpine ranges, the Bernese Alps extend from the gorge of Saint-Maurice, through which the Rhône finds its way to Lake Geneva, to the Grimsel Pass or, depending on the definition, to the river Reuss. The principal ridge, a chain that runs from west to east, whose highest peak is the Finsteraarhorn, forms the watershed between the cantons of Bern and Valais. Except for the westernmost part, it is also the watershed between the Rhine and the Rhône. This chain is not centered inside the range but lies close to the Rhône on the south. This makes a large difference between the south, where the lateral short valleys descend abruptly into the deep trench forming the valley of the Rhône and the north, where the Bernese Alps extends through a great part of the canton of Bern, throwing out branches to the west into the adjoining cantons of Vaud and Fribourg. There the mountains progressively become lower and disappear into the hilly Swiss Plateau.
with the Finsteraarhorn in the back
The main chain west of Gemmi Pass consists mainly of a few large prominent summits slightly above, generally covered by glaciers. On the eastern part, the main chain became suddenly wider and the peaks reach over, in the most glaciated part of the Alps.
A characteristic in the orography of the Bernese Alps is, that whereas the western of that chain consists of a single series of summits with comparatively short projecting buttresses, the higher group presents a series of longitudinal ridges parallel to the axis of the main chain, and separated from each other by deep valleys that form the channels of great glaciers. Thus the Tschingel Glacier and the Kander Glacier, separate the portion of the main range lying between the Gemmi Pass and the Mittaghorn from the equally high parallel range of the Doldenhorn and Blümlisalp on its northern side. To the south the same portion of the main range is divided from the still higher parallel range whose summits are the Aletschhorn and the Bietschhorn by the Lötschental and the Lötschenlücke. To this again succeeds the deep trench through which the lower part of the Aletsch Glacier flows down to the Rhône, enclosed by the minor ridge that culminates at the Eggishorn.
It is in the central and eastern portions of the range only that crystalline rocks make their appearance; the western part is composed almost exclusively of sedimentary deposits, and the secondary ridges extending through Bern and the adjoining cantons are formed of jurassic, cretaceous, or eocene strata.

Exploration

The beauty of the scenery and the facilities offered to travellers by the general extension of mountain railways make the northern side of the range, the Bernese Oberland, one of the portions of the Alps most visited by tourists. Since strangers first began to visit the Alps, the names of Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken have become famous. But unlike many other Alpine regions, which have been left to be explored by strangers, this region has been long visited by Swiss travellers and men of science. Among them were the brother Meyer of Aarau and Franz Joseph Hugi. They have explored most of the mountain ranges not very difficult of access, and have climbed most of the higher summits. In 1841, Louis Agassiz, with several scientific friends, established a temporary station on the Unteraar Glacier, and, along with scientific observations on the glaciers, started a series of expeditions. The works of Desor and Gottlieb Studer have been followed by several other publications that bear testimony to Swiss mountaineering activity. Notwithstanding the activity of their predecessors, the members of the English Alpine Club have found scope for further exploits, amongst which may be reckoned the first ascents of the Aletschhorn and the Schreckhorn, and the still more arduous enterprise of crossing the range by passes, such as the Jungfraujoch and Eigerjoch, which are considered among the most difficult in the Alps.

Jungfrau-Aletsch area

The Jungfrau-Aletsch area is located in the eastern Bernese Alps in the most glaciated region of the Alps. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and further expanded in 2007. Its name comes from the Aletsch Glacier and the two summits of the Jungfrau and Bietschhorn, which constitute some of the most impressive features of the site. The actual site includes other large glacier valleys such as the Fiescher Glacier and the Aar Glaciers.

List of peaks

The chief peaks of the Bernese Alps are:
NameElevation
Finsteraarhorn
Aletschhorn
Jungfrau
Mönch
Schreckhorn
Grosses Fiescherhorn
Grünhorn
Lauteraarhorn
Hinteres Fiescherhorn
Gletscherhorn
Rottalhorn
Eiger
Ebnefluh
Agassizhorn
Bietschhorn
Trugberg
Klein Grünhorn
Gross Wannenhorn
Kleines Fiescherhorn
Mittaghorn
Fiescher Gabelhorn
Schönbühlhorn
Nesthorn
Dreieckhorn
Schinhorn
Breithorn
Breithorn
Grosshorn
Sattelhorn
Kranzberg
Geisshorn
Klein Lauteraarhorn
Wetterhorn
Mittelhorn
Rotstock
Balmhorn
Silberhorn
Rosenhorn
Blüemlisalphorn
Bärglistock
Breitlauihorn
Doldenhorn
Hugihorn
Altels
Gross Fusshorn
Tschingelhorn
Lonzahörner
Unterbächhorn
Finsteraarrothorn
Galmihorn
Wysshorn
Kleines Schreckhorn
Nasse Strahlegg
Lauteraar Rothörner
Wasenhorn
Gspaltenhorn
Ewigschneehorn
Olmenhorn
Hienderstock
Wilerhorn
Tschingelspitz
Hockenhorn
Ritzlihorn
Hogleifa
Wildhorn
Bächlistock
Birghorn
Wildstrubel
Hohstock
Stockhorn
Diablerets
Sackhorn
Petersgrat
Strahlhorn
Wellhorn
Firehorn
Steinlauihorn
Wannihorn
Brandlammhorn
Mettenberg
Schwarzhorn
Löffelhorn
Tieregghorn
Geltenhorn
Grand Muveran
Mutthorn
Arpelistock
Sparrhorn
Torrenthorn
Wiwannihorn
Brünberg
Schilthorn
Dent de Morcles
Gärsthorn
Eggishorn
Schwarzhorn
Ritzihorn
Wildgärst
Gross Sidelhorn
Alplistock
Risihorn
Bettmerhorn
Gallauistöck
Gstellihorn
Innerer Fisistock
Grosses Engelhorn
Chistehorn
Niwen
Albristhorn
Bietenhorn
Ärmighorn
Tschingellochtighorn
Klein Wellhorn
Mittaghorn
Birg
Faulhorn
Schwarzmönch
Mont à Cavouère
Schluchhorn
Bunderspitz
Sulegg
Niesen
Pic Chaussy
Tête du Portail
Rauflihorn
Gebidum
Wiriehorn
Furggenspitz
Pointe des Savolaires
Oltschiburg
Riederhorn
Vanil Carré
Regenboldshorn
Hochmatt
Rüdigenspitze
Le Chamossaire
Rocher du Midi
Dent de Combette
Hohmad
Hohmädli
Wätterlatte

Glaciers

Main glaciers:
The chief passes of the Bernese Alps are:
Mountain passLocationTypeElevation
LauitorLauterbrunnen to the EggishornSnow
MönchjochGrindelwald to the EggishornSnow
JungfraujochWengernalp to the EggishornSnow
StrahleggGrindelwald to the Grimsel PassSnow
GrünhornlückeGreat Aletsch Glacier to the Fiescher GlacierSnow
OberaarjochGrimsel to the EggishornSnow
GauliGrimsel to MeiringenSnow
PetersgratLauterbrunnen to the LötschentalSnow
LötschenlückeLötschental to the EggishornSnow
LauteraarsattelGrindelwald to the GrimselSnow
BeichgratLötschental to the BelalpSnow
LammernjochLenk to the GemmiSnow
GamchiluckeKiental to LauterbrunnenSnow
TschiugelLauterbrunnen to KanderstegSnow
HohtürliKandersteg to the KientalFootpath
LötschenKandersteg to the LötschentalSnow
SefinenfurggeLauterbrunnen to the KientalFootpath
RawilSion to Lenk im SimmentalBridle path
GemmiKandersteg to LeukerbadBridle path
SanetschSion to SaanenBridle path
GrimselMeiringen to the Rhône GlacierRoad
Kleine ScheideggGrindelwald to LauterbrunnenPath, railway
ChevilleSion to BexBridle path
Grosse ScheideggGrindelwald to Meiringenroad