Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze)

Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze)

Monte Rosa stands in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps in the Monte Rosa Alps. The Monte Rosa Alps are a mountain massif located between Valais, Switzerland and the Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions of Italy.

Although “rosa” translates to “pink” in French and Italian, the mountain’s name actually comes from the Franco-Provençal Valdôtain dialect word “rouése,” translating to “glacier.”

Monte Rosa’s nearby neighboring peaks include Jägerhorn to the north, and then Signalkuppe, Parrotspitze, Ludwigshöhe, Entdeckungsfels, Lyskamm, Naso Del Lyskamm, and Western Lyskamm going in order from south to southwest of the peak.

Countries: Switzerland, Italy

State/Province: Valais and Piedmont, Aosta Valley

Mountain Range: Monte Rosa Alps

Parents: Pennine Alps, Western Alps

Elevation: 15,203 feet / 4,634 meters

Prominence: 7,103 feet / 2,165 meters

First Ascent: August 1, 1855, by Matthäus and Johannes Zumtaugwald, Ulrich Lauener, Christopher and James Smyth, Charles Hudson, John Birkbeck and Edward Stephenson.

Fun Fact: Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain peak in the Alps.

Plant Life: Conifers and larch trees are a common sight in the area, and spring is an excellent time to see the flowers blooming on the slopes. Lovely edelweiss and glacier buttercups dot the hills of Monte Rosa in the spring. Locals enjoy the fruits of fruit trees, grape vines, and blueberry bushes that grow in the lower valleys.

Animal Life: Ibex, chamois, marmots, and stoats can all be seen in the Monte Rosa area.

Bird Life: Several species of birds know the Monte Rosa area as home, including the rock partridge, golden eagle, griffon vulture, peregrine falcon, hazel and black grouse, black woodpecker, and ptarmigan.

Sources:

• Wikipedia: Monte Rosa
• Armchair Mountaineer: Monte Rosa
• European Environment Agency: Monte Rosa
• Google Maps