Dom | |
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The north side of the Dom and the Mischabel massif
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 4,545 m (14,911 ft) |
Prominence | 1046 m ↓ Neues Weisstor |
Isolation | 16.8 km → Nordend |
Parent peak | Monte Rosa |
Listing | |
Coordinates | 46°05′42″N 7°51′36″E / 46.09500°N 7.86000°ECoordinates: 46°05′42″N 7°51′36″E / 46.09500°N 7.86000°E |
Geography | |
Location | Valais, Switzerland |
Parent range | Pennine Alps |
Topo map | Swisstopo 1328 Randa |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1858 by the Rev John Llewelyn Davies guided by Johann Zumtaugwald, Johann Krönig and Hieronymous Brantschen |
Easiest route | North flank (PD) |
The Dom is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located between Randa and Saas-Fee in the canton of Valais. With its 4,545 m (14,911 ft) summit it is the third highest mountain in the Alps and the second highest in Switzerland, after Monte Rosa. The Dom is the main summit of the Mischabel group (German: Mischabelhörner), which is the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland.
Although Dom is a German cognate for 'dome', it can also mean 'cathedral' and the mountain is named after Canon Berchtold of Sitten cathedral, the first person to survey the vicinity.
The former name Mischabel comes from an ancient German dialect term for pitchfork, as the highest peaks of the massif stand close to each other.
The Dom is the culminating point of a chain running from the Schwarzberghorn on the south, at the intersection with the main chain of the Alps (Alpine watershed), to the Distelhorn on the north and ending above the town of Stalden. The chain lies entirely in the district of Visp.
The two valleys separated by the range are the Mattertal on the west and the Saastal on the east. The towns of Randa and Saas-Fee lie both six kilometres from the summit (to the west and the east, respectively). The elevation difference between the summit and the valley floor is 3,150 metres on the west side (Randa) and 3,000 metres on the east side (Saas-Grund). On the Mattertal side, the Dom faces the almost equally high Weisshorn and, on the Saastal side, it faces the Weissmies. The Dom is the highest point of the Saastal and the second highest mountain of the Mattertal after Monte Rosa.