RTW Leg 130

Lugano - Sion
LSZA - LSGS 205 nm, 1:20 hours
Departure: Noon

Lugano to Sion (Switzerland): the Swiss Alps

NARRATIVE

Heading northeast we soon reach the Pennine Alps, which are part of the Western Alps.
The Pennines are perhaps the most spectacular mountain chain in Europe. Located along the border between Southwest Switzerland and Northwest Italy, this compact area boasts ten of the twelve highest summits in the Alps (the other two are part of the Mont Blanc massif). The high peaks of the Pennine Alps include many 4,000 meter peaks and hundreds of peaks over 3,000 meters. The high mountains are separated by long narrow valleys. Most of the climbing routes are on snow, as the rock tends to be loose. Frequently unsettled weather can also contribute to climbing difficulty.

The history and culture in the Pennines is as enjoyable as the mountains themselves. Most of the high peaks cluster around the Zermatt valley, where the village of Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn, is one of the oldest centers of Alpine climbing. Ethnically the area is complex, with various combinations of French, Swiss-German, Italian, and local derivatives of these languages, being spoken from one valley to the next.

Continuing our flight, the first Alpine giant we meet is the Materhorn (14,691 ft/4,478 m).

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn (Located in the Pennine Alps) is a classic peak, a sharp, isolated rock pyramid with steep narrow ridges jutting from surrounding glaciers. The town of Zermatt, nestled beneath the mountain's north face, is a mountaineering Mecca. One of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world, the Matterhorn's every ridge and face have been scaled, and there are now fixed ropes, ladders, and huts along the normal routes to the summit. Don't let these props, however, provide false security, because much of the climb still requires a great deal of technical expertise, and its death rate is one of the highest in the world. One of the largest dangers on the Matterhorn is its popularity, since large numbers of climbers ascending simultaneously guarantees that meeting and overtaking maneuvers will be required, and increases the likelihood that rocks will be dislodged onto lower climbers.

Edward Whymper and party's first ascent of the mountain ended in tragedy, as Douglas Hadow, Lord Francis Douglas, and the guide Michel Croz all fell to their deaths on the descent. It was the English which made the resort of Zermatt popular with tourists. Here they came hiring locals as guides to guide them towards and often up their chosen mountain. Zermatt is surrounded by many 4000 metre mountains, and these were all climbed during the 'Golden Age' of mountaineering around 1850. The Matterhorn stood aloof for many years after repeated attempts from both Italy and Switzerland. The ascent of this mountain became a symbol of national pride, and wherever it was first climbed from (either Cervinia in Italy, or Zermatt in Switzerland), would reap the benefits from the tourist trade.

There are now many routes to the summit of the Matterhorn, the most easiest being the first ascent route: Hornli Ridge, and the Lion Ridge. However these grades would be much harder were it not for long sections of fixed ropes and ladders to enable local guides to get their clients up as quickly as possible. Away from the popular 'Voie Normalles' the experienced climber may tackle classic routes such as the Zmutt and Furggen Ridges , while even more experienced climbers can test their skills on the North Face.

Today the Matterhorn remains a significant challenge that should never be underestimated by climbers.

The next summit on our tour is the Mont Blanc. (15,771 ft/4,807 m).

Mont Blanc

The summit of Mont Blanc (in the French Alps, so we leave Switzerland for a moment) is a glistening white dome that fills the sky. It is the highest and hugest summit in the Alps. The elevation difference from bottom to top is more than 13,000 feet, and glaciers extend to as low as 4000 feet. It is ascended by a number of routes, many of which are fairly easy grades. The length and altitude of the ascent, however, coupled with the frequent instability of the weather, make Mont Blanc a very serious ascent, and over 1000 people have died on the mountain, largely because they failed to respect it, and failed to appreciate their own limitations. Two "normal" routes and several others can be used for ascending. Being fairly easy it is often overcrowded but luckily the peak itself is so flat and broad that it can provide place for 100-200 climbers at the same time. Physically pretty demanding.

Now we fly northeast and back to Switzerland, where we cross the Bernese Alps (Berner Alpen or Bernese Oberland), which are part of the Central Alps. The Bernese Oberland of southwest Switzerland, is at 70 miles the longest continuous major range in the Alps. The Oberland lies north of the Pennine Alps, separated from them by the upper Rhône valley. The western portion of the range includes a wide knot of great peaks, including eight peaks over 4,000 meters, and over 50 peaks that top 3,000 meters. The range presents a huge rock wall to the north, a breathtaking southern backdrop to the town of Bern and the popular Lake of Thun.

The Oberland is as famous for its history as its scenery. Many of its peaks were among the earliest ever climbed, and the Oberland in the nineteenth century attracted more tourist-seeking enterprise than any other part of the Alps, largely because of its accessibility from Bern.

The area offers a wealth of good climbs, in particular the finest concentration of major ice-routes in the Alps, of varying levels of difficulty. Even the easier routes, however, require some alpine experience, as many of the routes traverse long and complex glacial terrain.

Jungfrau

The first summit we meet here is the Jungfrau (13,642 ft/4,158 m).

Jungfrau is a great snowy mountain, a center for tourism in the Bernese Oberland. Its spectacular North Face towers nearly 10,000 feet from the valley below. Jungfrau and its neighboring peak Mönch (4099m) are separated by a col that holds an observatory, a railway station, and the Jungfraujoch Hotel. At 3478 meters (11,412 feet), this is the highest point in Europe that is reachable by railway, from which Jungfrau's summit is a short, icy climb up the northeast ridge.

Eiger at dusk

Next is Eiger, whose name means Ogre, is appropriately named for the severity of its towering north face. This mountain is the farthest east on the same crest that holds Jungfrau (13,642 ft.) and Mönch (13,448 ft.). Of the three mountains, Eiger (13,025 ft/3,970 m) is the most spectacular. Its fearsome north wall towers over 5,000 feet. Several climbers have been killed on the wall, including the two Germans who first ascended it in 1935.

In the 1930's, the mountain became famous for its escalating death tolls, and was referred to in print by such names as The White Spider, The White Cobra, Murder Wall, and others.

There are several routes to the summit of Eiger, but all are very serious, even those which do not ascend via the North Wall. A railway and high elevation hotel (3478 m) shortens the approach, but the climb to the summit is no less severe.

Finsteraarhorn

The last one we visit before going to Sion is Finsteraarhorn, the is the highest peak (14,019 ft/4,273 m) of the Bernese Oberland. It is a steep, majestic pyramid, rising from a web of glaciers. Despite its superior height, its northwestern neighbors, Jungfrau (4158m), Mönch (4099m), and Eiger (3970m), are more famous, owing in part to Eiger's towering north face, in part to the tourism that has built up around them.

Sion: All Saints' Chapel

Now it is time for a good lunch in one of Sion's restaurants. So let us leave the mountains behind us and head for the valley of the river Rhône. We start our approach at waypoint ALETO, at which point you are at a distance of 25.3 nm to SION ILS. Keep your current altitude until you intercept the glidescope. The approach course is 247°, but the runway's heading is 247°, so there is an offset of 7°.

Welcome in Sion, the oldest town of Switzerland.
Sion with its many different facets has so much to offer holiday-wise. The Old Town nestling beneath the Valère and Tourbillon hills, its castles and museums bring the past alive, while, with the stimulus of modern road, rail and air communications, the present is reflected in new suburbs. Sion offers a vast choice of sports, culture and culinary pleasures: golf or walks along the unique "bisse" (irrigation canals), skiing or mountain walks; art galleries and international music festivals, an extensive range of restaurants and wine cellars for sampling wines ripened in the Valais.

Please note that these RTW Narratives are produced using materials from various sites, in print and on the web.  They are intended for the private use of the RTW Buzz pilots only and are not meant for public dissemination.

Additional Scenery:
Raimondo Taburet's Swiss Mesh scenery (freeware), which performs very well with FS2002.

Flightplan & Narrative:
Jozef Kusters (RTW Pilot #038)