Climbing

Graubünden 3000 - Routes, peaks and mountains - The first which spring to mind are the Bernina, Graubünden?s highest elevation

2002-02-27 00:01:00 - ... or the Piz Palü, one of the most beautifully shaped mountain peaks.

Both are known well beyond the confines of Switzerland. Anyone familiar with Graubünden will certainly also recognise other rock and ice formations, such as the Glarus ?home mountain? Tödi, the Great Oberländer, Oberalpstock, Hausstock, Pizzo Tambo or the Piz Medel and Piz Terri.

Another of Graubünden?s better known heights is the Ringelspitz, the highest peak of St. Gallen, which straddles the cantonal border.

The Silvretta makes an impressive showing, with over 30 proud peaks. But all these mountains together make up far fewer than 460 peaks. That grand total includes many unknown mountains, like the Bürkelstock on the Austrian frontier.

Amusingly, Emil and his partner have come across eight Schwarzhorns (Piz Nairs) among their target 460. The greatest technical challenges are certainly the many granite pyramids and needles of Bergell, above all the Pizzo Badile and the Pizzi Gemelli.

The 460 mountains have one thing in common: they are all 3000 or more metres high, all located in the Canton of Graubünden and are all going to be climbed by the intrepid duo Emil Inauen and Walter von Ballmoos.