Monte Leone
Monte Leone is the highest mountain of the Lepontine Alps and is located on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The mountain stands on the extreme west of the Lepontine Alps, a few kilometres east of Simplon Pass.
| Monte Leone | |
|---|---|
 Monte Leone seen from Simplon pass, August 2006 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,553 m (11,657 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,144 m (3,753 ft)[1] |
| Parent peak | Dammastock |
| Isolation | 11.7 km (7.3 mi)[2] |
| Listing | Alpine mountains above 3000 m |
| Coordinates | 46°14′59″N 8°06′37″E |
| Geography | |
  Monte Leone Location in the Alps | |
| Location | Valais, Switzerland / Piedmont, Italy |
| Parent range | Lepontine Alps |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | July 1859, by an unnamed Swiss officer [3] |
Etymology
Leone in Italian means lion, and the mountain's name is said to come from the look of its south face's profile. A different origin of the name could be Munt d'l'Aiun, which in the local dialect means Aiun's mountain; Aione is a nearby village and mount Leone is situated close to meadows traditionally owned by the villagers.
Geography
In the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain belongs to an alpine subsection of Lepontine Alps called "North-Western Lepontine Alps" (It:Alpi del Monte Leone e del San Gottardo; De:Monte Leone-Sankt Gotthard-Alpen).[4]
See also
References
- Retrieved from the Swisstopo topographic maps. The key col is the Albrun Pass (2,409 m)
- Retrieved from Google Earth. The nearest point of higher elevation is east of the Senggchuppa.
- First ascent data at schweizerseiten.ch and as indicated in the Swiss Alpine Club guide
- Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. p. 137. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.
