Dom (mountain)
Encyclopedia
The Dom is a mountain
in the Pennine Alps
above Saas Fee in the canton of Valais
. With its 4545 m (14,911 ft) summit it is the third highest peak in the Alps
and the second highest in Switzerland
. The Dom is the summit of the Mischabel range, the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland.
Although Dom is a German
cognate for 'dome', it can also mean 'cathedral' and the mountain is named after Canon Berchtold of Sitten cathedral
, the first person to survey the vicinity.
The former name Mischabel comes from an ancient German dialect term for pitchfork, as the highest peaks of the massif stand close to each other.
on the south, at the intersection with the main chain of the Alps ( Alpine watershed
), to the Seetalhorn
on the north and ending above the town of Stalden.
The two valleys separated by the range are the Mattertal
on the west and the Saastal
on the east. The towns of Randa and Saas Fee lie six kilometres from the summit (to the west and the east, respectively).
Since the Dom is not on the main Alpine chain, the rivers flowing on both the west and east side of the massif end up in the same major river, the Rhone
. The Dom is the highest mountain in the Alps with this peculiarity.
Many high summits are located within a few kilometers from the Dom. To the north lies the Nadelgrat, composed of the Lenzspitze
, Nadelhorn
and Stecknadelhorn
. The Nadelgrat is easily visible from the north and gives the massif its characteristic pitchfork appearance. The second highest peak of the massif, the Täschhorn
to the south, culminates at 4,491 metres. In total eight summits above 4,000 metres are located in the Mischabel range.
Generally, areas above 3,000 metres are covered by glaciers, the two largest being the Ried
situated at the foot of the Nadelgrat and the Fee
, at the foot of the Dom itself, below the east face. Mt. Dom is a depositional mountain.
from the Siviez-Mischabel nappe. The latter is part of the Briançonnais microcontinent
and is located in the Penninic nappes
.
was made from the Festigrat (north-west ridge) by J. L. Davies with guides Johann Zumtaugwald, Johann Krönig and Hieronymous Brantschen on 11 September 1858.
The first ascent of the western ridge (above the Festikinlücke) was made in 1879 by Mrs E. P. Jackson, A. Pollinger, P. Truffel, J. Biner, P. Thomas, J. Imboden and J. Langen. They traversed the west face to reach the Festigrat before arriving to the summit. The first complete ascent on the western ridge was made later in 1882 by Paul Güssfeldt
and guides Alexander Burgener and B. Venetz. The direct route on the west face was first ascended in 1962.
The 1000-metre-high east face above Saas Fee was climbed in 1875 by J. Petrus, A. and W. Puckle and L. Noti.
A route on the south face was first made in August 1906 by Geoffrey Winthrop Young
and R. G. Major, with the guides Joseph Knubel and G. Lochmatter. According to Young it was more dangerous than the south-west face of the nearby Täschhorn, which they had climbed two weeks earlier.
On 18 June 1917, Arnold Lunn
, a pioneer ski mountaineer, and Joseph Knubel made the first ski ascent of the Dom, by the Hohberg Glacier (north flank).
The easiest way to the summit starts from Randa (railway station, 1,450 m), where a trail leads to the Dom Hut
(2,940 m). Climbing the mountain requires an overnight stay (a note of caution: the Dom Hut will be closed throughout the whole year 2011 for reconstruction).
Most popular sleeping sites are the Dom hut and the camping place one hour higher
from the hut. The hut needs to be booked in advance and is not free to use like
the camping place.
The normal route starts from the hut and goes towards the Festijoch pass (3,720 m). Then it follows the Hohberg Glacier to the summit above the north face. The Festigrat, traversed on the first ascent, is the north-western ridge going directly from the Festijoch to the summit. It is preferred by climbers who wish to avoid the long slopes of the north flank.
The Mischabel Hut
on the east side is generally used for the ascent of lower summits in the district, such as the Nadelhorn, Lenzspitze, and peaks on the Nadelgrat.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Pennine Alps
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
above Saas Fee in the canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
. With its 4545 m (14,911 ft) summit it is the third highest peak in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and the second highest in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The Dom is the summit of the Mischabel range, the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland.
Although Dom is a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
cognate for 'dome', it can also mean 'cathedral' and the mountain is named after Canon Berchtold of Sitten cathedral
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
, the first person to survey the vicinity.
The former name Mischabel comes from an ancient German dialect term for pitchfork, as the highest peaks of the massif stand close to each other.
Geographical setting
The Dom is the culminating point of a chain running from SchwarzberghornSchwarzberghorn
Schwarzberghorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the Swiss-Italian border.-External links:*...
on the south, at the intersection with the main chain of the Alps ( Alpine watershed
Main chain of the Alps
The Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the water divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range; the Alps are something of an unusual case in that several significant groups of...
), to the Seetalhorn
Seetalhorn
The Seetalhorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps. With an elevation of 3037 m it is the highest point of the ski area of Grächen....
on the north and ending above the town of Stalden.
The two valleys separated by the range are the Mattertal
Mattertal
The Matter Valley is located in southwestern Switzerland, south of the Rhone valley in the canton of Valais. The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surrounded by many four-thousanders, including the Matterhorn.-Geography:Located in the Pennine Alps, the...
on the west and the Saastal
Saastal
The Saastal or the Saas Valley is an alpine valley in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is separated from the Mattertal valley by the Dom....
on the east. The towns of Randa and Saas Fee lie six kilometres from the summit (to the west and the east, respectively).
Since the Dom is not on the main Alpine chain, the rivers flowing on both the west and east side of the massif end up in the same major river, the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
. The Dom is the highest mountain in the Alps with this peculiarity.
Many high summits are located within a few kilometers from the Dom. To the north lies the Nadelgrat, composed of the Lenzspitze
Lenzspitze
The Lenzspitze is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It is the southernmost peak on the Nadelgrat, a high-level ridge running roughly north–south, north of Dom in the Mischabel range, above the resort of Saas Fee to the east, and the Mattertal to the west.It was first climbed in August...
, Nadelhorn
Nadelhorn
The Nadelhorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It is the highest point on the Nadelgrat, a high-level ridge running roughly north–south above the resort of Saas-Fee to the east, and the Mattertal to the west. Its three ridges join to form a sharp-pointed summit, which looks like a...
and Stecknadelhorn
Stecknadelhorn
The Stecknadelhorn is a sub-summit to Dom in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It lies on the Nadelgrat, a high-level ridge running roughly north–south above the resort of Saas Fee to the east, and the Mattertal to the west....
. The Nadelgrat is easily visible from the north and gives the massif its characteristic pitchfork appearance. The second highest peak of the massif, the Täschhorn
Täschhorn
The Täschhorn is a mountain in the Mischabelhörner group of the Pennine Alps in Switzerland, lying south of Dom.The first ascent of the mountain was by the Rev. John Llewelyn-Davies and Rev. J. W. Hayward with guides Stefan and Johann Zumtaugwald and Peter-Josef Summermatter on 30 July...
to the south, culminates at 4,491 metres. In total eight summits above 4,000 metres are located in the Mischabel range.
Generally, areas above 3,000 metres are covered by glaciers, the two largest being the Ried
Ried Glacier
The Ried Glacier is a 6 km long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of 8.22 km².The glacier lies in the Mischabel range, at the foot of Nadelhorn and not far from Dom.-External links:*...
situated at the foot of the Nadelgrat and the Fee
Fee Glacier
The Fee Glacier is a long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had a length of and an area of . It lies east of the Mischabel range, between the summit of Dom on the north and Allalinhorn on the south.The glacier is easily accessible via the...
, at the foot of the Dom itself, below the east face. Mt. Dom is a depositional mountain.
Geology
The massif is almost entirely composed of gneissGneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
from the Siviez-Mischabel nappe. The latter is part of the Briançonnais microcontinent
Briançonnais microcontinent
The Briançonnais zone or Briançonnais terrane is a piece of continental crust found in the Penninic nappes of the Alps.According to some paleogeographic reconstructions the rocks of the Briançonnais zone were in fact a part of the microcontinent Iberia, that encompassed not only the Iberian...
and is located in the Penninic nappes
Penninic nappes
The Penninic nappes or the Penninicum are one of three nappe stacks and geological zones in which the Alps can be divided. In the western Alps the Penninic nappes are more obviously present than in the eastern Alps , where they crop out as a narrow band...
.
Climbing history
The first ascentFirst ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
was made from the Festigrat (north-west ridge) by J. L. Davies with guides Johann Zumtaugwald, Johann Krönig and Hieronymous Brantschen on 11 September 1858.
The first ascent of the western ridge (above the Festikinlücke) was made in 1879 by Mrs E. P. Jackson, A. Pollinger, P. Truffel, J. Biner, P. Thomas, J. Imboden and J. Langen. They traversed the west face to reach the Festigrat before arriving to the summit. The first complete ascent on the western ridge was made later in 1882 by Paul Güssfeldt
Paul Güssfeldt
Dr Paul Güssfeldt was a German geologist, mountaineer and explorer.-Biography:Güssfeldt was born in Berlin, where he also died almost 80 years later...
and guides Alexander Burgener and B. Venetz. The direct route on the west face was first ascended in 1962.
The 1000-metre-high east face above Saas Fee was climbed in 1875 by J. Petrus, A. and W. Puckle and L. Noti.
A route on the south face was first made in August 1906 by Geoffrey Winthrop Young
Geoffrey Winthrop Young
Geoffrey Winthrop Young D.Litt. was a British climber, poet and educator, and author of several notable books on mountaineering.-Mountaineering:...
and R. G. Major, with the guides Joseph Knubel and G. Lochmatter. According to Young it was more dangerous than the south-west face of the nearby Täschhorn, which they had climbed two weeks earlier.
On 18 June 1917, Arnold Lunn
Arnold Lunn
Sir Arnold Henry Moore Lunn was a famous skier, mountaineer and writer. He was knighted for "services to British Skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations" in 1952.He was born in Madras, India and died in London.-Early life:...
, a pioneer ski mountaineer, and Joseph Knubel made the first ski ascent of the Dom, by the Hohberg Glacier (north flank).
Climbing routes and huts
Despite its considerable height above the surrounding valleys, the Dom can be climbed quite easily, as the normal route does not present major difficulties. It is however a demanding 3,100-metre ascent with objective danger in the upper part. Cable cars and other facilities are located only in the Saas Fee area on the east side of the mountain, from which all the routes are difficult.The easiest way to the summit starts from Randa (railway station, 1,450 m), where a trail leads to the Dom Hut
Dom Hut
The Dom Hut is a mountain hut in the Pennine Alps located above Randa in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is owned by the Swiss Alpine Club. The Dom Hut is mainly used as the starting point of the normal route of the Dom. From Randa a trail leads to the hut.- External links :*...
(2,940 m). Climbing the mountain requires an overnight stay (a note of caution: the Dom Hut will be closed throughout the whole year 2011 for reconstruction).
Most popular sleeping sites are the Dom hut and the camping place one hour higher
from the hut. The hut needs to be booked in advance and is not free to use like
the camping place.
The normal route starts from the hut and goes towards the Festijoch pass (3,720 m). Then it follows the Hohberg Glacier to the summit above the north face. The Festigrat, traversed on the first ascent, is the north-western ridge going directly from the Festijoch to the summit. It is preferred by climbers who wish to avoid the long slopes of the north flank.
The Mischabel Hut
Mischabel Hut
The Mischabel Hut is a mountain hut located east of the Dom. It is situated at above sea level, in the Saastal valley near Saas Fee, in the Swiss canton of Valais. The hut is owned by the Akademische Alpen-Club Zürich ....
on the east side is generally used for the ascent of lower summits in the district, such as the Nadelhorn, Lenzspitze, and peaks on the Nadelgrat.