Aletschhorn

Aletschhorn
The Aletschhorn from Konkordiaplatz
Highest point
Elevation	4,193 m (13,757 ft)
Prominence	1,029 m (3,376 ft)
Isolation	12.9 km (8.0 mi)
Parent peak	Finsteraarhorn
Coordinates	46°27′54.36″N 7°59′37.18″E / 46.4651000°N 7.9936611°E / 46.4651000; 7.9936611Coordinates: 46°27′54.36″N 7°59′37.18″E / 46.4651000°N 7.9936611°E / 46.4651000; 7.9936611
Geography
Aletschhorn Location in Switzerland
Location	Valais, Switzerland
Parent range	Bernese Alps
Topo map	Swisstopo 1269 Aletschgletscher
Climbing
First ascent	18 June 1859 by Francis Fox Tuckett with guides Johann Joseph Bennen, Peter Bohren and V. Tairraz
Easiest route	South-west ridge

The Aletschhorn (4,193 m (13,757 ft)) is a mountain in the Alps in Switzerland, lying within the Jungfrau-Aletsch region, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The mountain shares part of its name with the Aletsch Glacier lying at its foot.

The Aletschhorn, the second highest mountain of the Bernese Alps after the Finsteraarhorn, is the only one of the higher peaks that lies completely in Valais. It is the culminating point of a chain running parallel with the dividing ridge, and surpassing it in the height of its principal peaks. Standing thus between the principal range of the Bernese Alps and the Pennine chain, it shares with the Bietschhorn the advantage of occupying a central position in relation to the high peaks around it. The Aletschhorn is often thought to command the finest of all the panoramic views from Alpine summits.

On its northern flank lies the Aletschfirn, which is part of the Aletsch Glacier. On the southwest lies the Oberaletsch Glacier and, on the southeast, lies the Mittelaletsch Glacier. Both are in the catchment area of the Massa river, which originates in the Aletsch Glacier and ends up in the Rhone river. Its remote location in the middle of glaciers means that the Aletschhorn, despite its height, is less frequently visited and less well known than the summits of the Jungfrau and the Eiger, which lie about 10 km on the north.

The Aletschhorn was first climbed almost 50 years after the first ascent of the Jungfrau. When the Jungfrau was first climbed, the climbers used base camps on the Aletschfirn, at the foot of the Aletschhorn.