Zinalrothorn
Encyclopedia
The Zinalrothorn is a mountain
in the Pennine
Alps
in Switzerland
. Its name comes from the village of Zinal
lying on the north side and from the German word Rothorn which means Red Peak. When it was first climbed in 1864 the mountain was known locally as Moming.
The Zinalrothorn is one of the high summits separating the Matter
valley on the east and the Val d'Anniviers
(or more precisely the Val de Zinal) on the west. The summit of the Weisshorn
(4,505 m) is located 5 km to the north and the Dent Blanche
7 km to the west. At the western foot of the mountain lies the large Zinal Glacier
and, on the northern side, the Moming Glacier
. L'Epaule
(the shoulder) is a minor summit lying at the base of the northern ridge.
The villages of Täsch
and Zermatt
are the closest while Zinal
on the north-west is located further (9 km).
and Florence Crauford Grove
with guides Jakob Anderegg and Melchior Anderegg
(AD). They left Zinal at 1 a.m. and ascended the Zinal Glacier. The reached the shoulder from the ridge connecting the Blanc de Moming at the base of the northern ridge at 9 a.m. The traverse of the ridge to the summit took them 2 hours, Stephen wrote later that it was 'the nastiest piece of climbing I have ever accomplished'.
The slightly less difficult normal route, the south-east ridge, was first climbed by the combined parties of Clinton Thomas Dent
with guide Alexander Burgener, and George Augustus Passingham, with guides Ferdinand Imseng and Franz Andermatten on 5 September 1872.
The first winter and ski ascent was by Marcel Kurz and T. Theytaz on 7 February 1914.
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
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
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....
. Its name comes from the village of Zinal
Zinal
Zinal is a village located in the municipality of Anniviers in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at an altitude of 1,675 metres in the Swiss Alps in the Val d'Anniviers, a valley running from the Zinal Glacier, north of Dent Blanche to the village of Ayer...
lying on the north side and from the German word Rothorn which means Red Peak. When it was first climbed in 1864 the mountain was known locally as Moming.
Geography
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...
valley on the east and the Val d'Anniviers
Val d'Anniviers
The val d'Anniviers is a Swiss alpine valley, situated in the district of Sierre in Valais, which extends south of the Rhône Valley. The valley was home to six municipalities: Ayer, Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint-Jean, Saint-Luc, Vissoie, Vercorin and Zinal. The citizens of those municipalities agreed...
(or more precisely the Val de Zinal) on the west. The summit of the Weisshorn
Weisshorn
The Weisshorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, in Switzerland. With its summit, it is one of the major peaks in the Alps and overtops the nearby Matterhorn by some 30 metres. It was first climbed in 1861 from Randa by John Tyndall, accompanied by the guides J.J...
(4,505 m) is located 5 km to the north and the Dent Blanche
Dent Blanche
The Dent Blanche is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, lying in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. With its high summit, it is one of the highest peaks in the Alps.-Naming:...
7 km to the west. At the western foot of the mountain lies the large Zinal Glacier
Zinal Glacier
The Zinal Glacier is a long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of . The glacier gives birth to the Navissence River, which runs through a cave.-External links:*...
and, on the northern side, the Moming Glacier
Moming Glacier
The Moming Glacier is a 3 km long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of 6.39 km².-External links:*...
. L'Epaule
L'Epaule
L'Epaule is a minor summit north of the Zinalrothorn. Because of its small prominence it was included in the enlarged list of alpine four-thousanders.- External links :*...
(the shoulder) is a minor summit lying at the base of the northern ridge.
The villages of Täsch
Täsch
Täsch is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is located about north of Zermatt. The local language is Swiss German.-History:Täsch is first mentioned in 1302 as Tech. In Latin it was known as Pera....
and Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
are the closest while Zinal
Zinal
Zinal is a village located in the municipality of Anniviers in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at an altitude of 1,675 metres in the Swiss Alps in the Val d'Anniviers, a valley running from the Zinal Glacier, north of Dent Blanche to the village of Ayer...
on the north-west is located further (9 km).
Climbing history
The first ascent was made on 22 August 1864 via the north ridge by Leslie StephenLeslie Stephen
Sir Leslie Stephen, KCB was an English author, critic and mountaineer, and the father of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.-Life:...
and Florence Crauford Grove
Florence Crauford Grove
Florence Crauford Grove was an English mountaineer and author, sometimes known as F. Crauford Grove.-Mountaineer:Grove became an experienced alpinist in the late 1850s and joined the Alpine Club of London soon after it was formed in 1857, later serving as its President from 1884 to 1886...
with guides Jakob Anderegg and Melchior Anderegg
Melchior Anderegg
Melchior Anderegg , from Zaun, Meiringen, was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism...
(AD). They left Zinal at 1 a.m. and ascended the Zinal Glacier. The reached the shoulder from the ridge connecting the Blanc de Moming at the base of the northern ridge at 9 a.m. The traverse of the ridge to the summit took them 2 hours, Stephen wrote later that it was 'the nastiest piece of climbing I have ever accomplished'.
The slightly less difficult normal route, the south-east ridge, was first climbed by the combined parties of Clinton Thomas Dent
Clinton Thomas Dent
Clinton Thomas Dent FRCS was an English surgeon, author and mountaineer.-Early life:The fourth surviving son of Thomas Dent, he was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge.-Alpinism:...
with guide Alexander Burgener, and George Augustus Passingham, with guides Ferdinand Imseng and Franz Andermatten on 5 September 1872.
The first winter and ski ascent was by Marcel Kurz and T. Theytaz on 7 February 1914.