LITMIR.BIZ

      A great view of Monte Rosa from the Rifugio Oberto Maroli on Stage 6

      Monte Rosa is far from being a single summit. This is the biggest massif in Western Europe, comprising ten defined summits which surpass the magical 4000m mark. Although now surrounded on all sides by resorts and mechanical uplift, the ascent of the Monte Rosa peaks remains a challenging undertaking, not to be underestimated. Winter and summer alike, the nearby slopes are home to skiers and tourists, but to reach a Monte Rosa summit you need to be fit and acclimatised. All around are glaciers, seracs and crevasses, and although in good sunny conditions deep snow tracks lead to the summits and give a sense of security, as soon as the fog comes down or the snow starts to fall this area becomes a very serious proposition indeed.

      To walk around the Monte Rosa massif is to enjoy all the views and the incredible scenery with none of the dangers and perils associated with ascending the peaks. The Tour flirts just a little with the glaciers as it passes from Italy to Switzerland via the Theodulpass, leading the hiker into the high mountain world of ice and snow. But there are far more demanding ascents than this one on the Tour.

      Apart from that short glaciated section this is a trek on non-glaciated ground. It is a wonderful route that climbs up from the valley bases through meadows, past summer farms and grazing cows, onto the higher rocky slopes where only the hardiest animals live, and over passes tucked up against the slopes of glaciated mountains, then descending new valleys, each different in character and scenery.

The region

      The Monte Rosa massif forms part of the Pennine Alps (a mountain range in the western part of the Alps), and borders southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The Pennine Alps are located in France (Haute-Savoie), Switzerland (Valais) and Italy (Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta). The Petit Saint Bernard Pass and the Dora Baltea Valley separate them from the Graian Alps; the Simplon Pass separates them from the Lepontine Alps; the Rhône Valley separates them from the Bernese Alps; and the Col de Coux and the Arly Valley separate them from the French Prealps (Aravis and Chablais). The Pennine Alps contain the largest concentration of peaks over 4000m in Europe. The Swiss-Italian frontier forms the Alpine watershed and it is here that the most grandiose summits are to be found, their huge glaciers snaking down into the adjacent valleys: on the Swiss side flowing down to the Rhône, on the Italian draining to the Po.

      The enormous barrier of the Pennine Alps represents the pressure zone created when the African tectonic plate collided with the Continental plate. Mountains were forced up and subsequent erosion has produced the spectacular scenery seen today. While very slightly less lofty than their famous neighbour Mont Blanc, peaks such as Liskamm, the ten summits of Monte Rosa, the Täschhorn, the Dom and the Weisshorn, to mention just a few, are at least equal in grandeur and splendour.

      The Tour of Monte Rosa visits two countries, Italy and Switzerland. These are mountain regions, initially inhabited by people who probably arrived from other mountain valleys. To some extent cut off from life down on the plains, these regions have maintained their traditions and culture. Life was naturally harsh, especially during the long winter months. A common thread runs through the villages and valleys encountered on the trek – that of sustainable living – surviving on whatever you have locally.