Hausstock
Encyclopedia
The Hausstock is a mountain
in the Glarus Alps
, on the border between the cantons of Glarus
and Graubünden
. It overlooks the valleys of Linthal
(Glarus) and Surselva (Graubünden). The Hausstock was the site of the 1799 withdrawal of the Russian army under General Alexander Suvorov
. A well-known destination already in the nineteenth century with British and American climbers, the mountain remains popular with mountain climbers and skiers.
formation of the high Glarus Alps, the Hausstock contains fine-grained black sandstone
. The mountain is part of the Glarus thrust
, a major thrust fault
; the top layer consists of Verrucano formations, 250-300 Ma old, on top of chalk
, 100-150 Ma, and flysch
, 35-50 Ma. In 2008, the thrust was declared a geotope
, a geologic UNESCO
world heritage site
, under the name Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona. The Glarus thrust can clearly be seen on the mountain at approximately 2950 metres (9,678 ft).
made a strategic retreat
from the French Revolution
ary forces in Italy
over the Panix pass
, elevation 2407 metres (7,897 ft), which connects the town of Glarus
, at 472 metres (1,549 ft), and the hamlet of Panix, at 1300 metres (4,265 ft). Panix is located on the east side of the mountain along the Schmue stream. The event is frequently mentioned in British mountain guides from the nineteenth century, adding interest to the mountain, and still attracts tourists to the area. A plaque in Paxis commemorates the event. Today, there is still a military presence: the Swiss army
maintains a firing range
for tank
s; the army "even uses mine throwers to target the glacier
on the upper flanks of the 3,000-metre high Hausstock Mountain."
According to the American mountaineer
W. A. B. Coolidge
, the first ascent of the mountain was made in 1832. The trek through the pass, under the shadow of the mountain, is described extensively in the works of the famous Irish naturalist and alpinist John Ball
, who mentioned the Hausstock in many of his works.
The Hausstock is one stage in what William Martin Conway, president of the Alpine Club
from 1902 to 1904, called the "North Tour through the Alps," a route popular in the nineteenth century with British and American travelers; the mountain was often reached via a long ridge that connects it to neighboring Ruchi
, at 3107 metres (10,194 ft). The Hausstock is the highest of the mountains around the village of Elm
, from which it is usually ascended; it continues to be a popular mountain to climb, and there is a mountain hut, the Panixerpasshütte, in the Panix pass.
Today, the Hausstock is a popular wintersports resort, accessible via the village of Elm with a ski lift system installed in the early 2000s. The "Hausstock" ski tour is said to be "incredible.... Long and varied with a rewarding view from the summit."
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 Glarus Alps
Glarus Alps
The Glarus Alps are a mountain range in central Switzerland. They extend from the Oberalp Pass to the Klausen Pass, and are bordered by the Urner Alps to the west, the Lepontine Alps to the south and the Appenzell Alps to the northeast...
, on the border between the cantons of Glarus
Canton of Glarus
The Canton of Glarus is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.The majority of the population identifies as Christian, about evenly split between the Protestant and Catholic confessions.-History:According to legend, the...
and Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. It overlooks the valleys of Linthal
Linthal
Linthal is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Linthal is part of the municipality of Glarus Süd.-Geography:...
(Glarus) and Surselva (Graubünden). The Hausstock was the site of the 1799 withdrawal of the Russian army under General Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
. A well-known destination already in the nineteenth century with British and American climbers, the mountain remains popular with mountain climbers and skiers.
Geography, geology
Like the rest of the nummuliteNummulite
thumb|left|250px|Fossil Nummulites in [[Urbasa]], [[Basque Country |Basque Country]]A nummulite is a large lenticular fossil, characterized by its numerous coils, subdivided by septa into chambers. They are the shells of the fossil and present-day marine protozoan Nummulites, a type of foraminiferan...
formation of the high Glarus Alps, the Hausstock contains fine-grained black sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. The mountain is part of the Glarus thrust
Glarus thrust
The Glarus thrust is a major thrust fault in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. Along the thrust the Helvetic nappes were thrusted more than 100 km to the north over the external Aarmassif and Infrahelvetic complex...
, a major thrust fault
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
; the top layer consists of Verrucano formations, 250-300 Ma old, on top of chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, 100-150 Ma, and flysch
Flysch
Flysch is a sequence of sedimentary rocks that is deposited in a deep marine facies in the foreland basin of a developing orogen. Flysch is typically deposited during an early stage of the orogenesis. When the orogen evolves the foreland basin becomes shallower and molasse is deposited on top of...
, 35-50 Ma. In 2008, the thrust was declared a geotope
Geotope
Geotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. Example geotopes might be: an exposed outcrop of rocks, an erratic boulder, a grotto or ravine, a cave, an old stone wall marking a property boundary, and so forth....
, a geologic UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
world heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, under the name Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona. The Glarus thrust can clearly be seen on the mountain at approximately 2950 metres (9,678 ft).
History
In October of 1799, Russian General Alexander SuvorovAlexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
made a strategic retreat
Suvorov's Italian and Swiss expedition
The Italian and Swiss expeditions of 1799 and 1800 were undertaken by the Russian commander Alexander Suvorov against French forces in Piedmont and Switzerland as part of the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars in general and the War of the Second Coalition in particular.-Italian...
from the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
ary forces in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
over the Panix pass
Panix Pass
Panix Pass or Panixer Pass is a Swiss Alpine pass in the canton of Graubünden....
, elevation 2407 metres (7,897 ft), which connects the town of Glarus
Glarus
Glarus is the capital of the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Glarus municipality since 1 January 2011 incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern....
, at 472 metres (1,549 ft), and the hamlet of Panix, at 1300 metres (4,265 ft). Panix is located on the east side of the mountain along the Schmue stream. The event is frequently mentioned in British mountain guides from the nineteenth century, adding interest to the mountain, and still attracts tourists to the area. A plaque in Paxis commemorates the event. Today, there is still a military presence: the Swiss army
Military of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...
maintains a firing range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
for tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s; the army "even uses mine throwers to target the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
on the upper flanks of the 3,000-metre high Hausstock Mountain."
According to the American mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
W. A. B. Coolidge
W. A. B. Coolidge
William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.Coolidge was born in New York as the son of Frederic William Skinner Coolidge, a Boston merchant, and Elisabeth Neville Brevoort of the Netherlands. He studied history and law at St...
, the first ascent of the mountain was made in 1832. The trek through the pass, under the shadow of the mountain, is described extensively in the works of the famous Irish naturalist and alpinist John Ball
John Ball (naturalist)
John Ball was an Irish politician, naturalist and Alpine traveller.-Background and education:Ball was born in Dublin, the eldest son of Nicholas Ball and his wife Jane Sherlock...
, who mentioned the Hausstock in many of his works.
The Hausstock is one stage in what William Martin Conway, president of the Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
from 1902 to 1904, called the "North Tour through the Alps," a route popular in the nineteenth century with British and American travelers; the mountain was often reached via a long ridge that connects it to neighboring Ruchi
Ruchi
The Ruchi is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden, Switzerland. It overlooks the Muttsee on its west side from where a trail leads to the summit. On its south-east side lies a small glacier, the Glatscher da Gavirolas...
, at 3107 metres (10,194 ft). The Hausstock is the highest of the mountains around the village of Elm
Elm, Switzerland
-Culture:In 1981, the Wakker Prize was awarded to Elm for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage....
, from which it is usually ascended; it continues to be a popular mountain to climb, and there is a mountain hut, the Panixerpasshütte, in the Panix pass.
Today, the Hausstock is a popular wintersports resort, accessible via the village of Elm with a ski lift system installed in the early 2000s. The "Hausstock" ski tour is said to be "incredible.... Long and varied with a rewarding view from the summit."