|
|
|
|
Bernese Alps
|
| |
|
| |
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests they are in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are located in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and Vaud. The latter being informally named Fribourg Alps and Vaud Alps respectively.
The Rhône valley separates them from the Chablais Alps in the west and from the Pennine Alps in the south; the upper Rhône valley separate them from the Lepontine Alps in the south-east; the Grimsel Pass and the Aar valley separates them from the Urner Alps in the east; their northern edge is not so well defined, describing a line roughly from Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne.
The Bernese Alps are drained by the river Aar and its tributary Saane in the north, the Rhône in the south and the Reuss in the east.
backbone of the Bernese Alps is a 100 km long chain running from west (Dent de Morcles) to east (Sidelhorn) along the border between the cantons of Berne (north) and Valais (south).
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Bernese Alps' Start a new discussion about 'Bernese Alps' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests they are in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are located in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and Vaud. The latter being informally named Fribourg Alps and Vaud Alps respectively.
The Rhône valley separates them from the Chablais Alps in the west and from the Pennine Alps in the south; the upper Rhône valley separate them from the Lepontine Alps in the south-east; the Grimsel Pass and the Aar valley separates them from the Urner Alps in the east; their northern edge is not so well defined, describing a line roughly from Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne.
The Bernese Alps are drained by the river Aar and its tributary Saane in the north, the Rhône in the south and the Reuss in the east.
Morphology
The backbone of the Bernese Alps is a 100 km long chain running from west (Dent de Morcles) to east (Sidelhorn) along the border between the cantons of Berne (north) and Valais (south). Except for the westernmost part, it is also the watershed between the North Sea and the Mediteranean Sea. This backbone is not centered inside the range but lies close (10 to 15 km) to the Rhône river on the south. This makes a large difference between the south, where the lateral short valleys descend abruptly into the Rhône Valley and the north, where the mountains progressively become lower and disappear into the hilly Swiss Plateau or into the Lake Thun and Brienz on the eastern part. The main chain west of Gemmi Pass consists mainly of a few large prominent summits (as the Wildhorn) slightly above 3000 metres, generally covered by glaciers. On the eastern part, the main chain became suddenly wider and the peaks reach over 4000 metres, in the most glaciated part of the Alps .
Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
|
| |
|
|
