Monte Rosa Massif, Mountain range at Valais, Aosta Valley and Piedmont, Switzerland and Italy.
The massif is a range straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy, with more than ten summits above 4000 meters (13123 feet) and Dufourspitze as the country's highest point. Glaciers spread across the northern and southern flanks, forming a wide system of ice and rock that covers several valleys.
The summit, then called Höchste Spitze, was first reached in 1855 from Zermatt by a party of eight climbers led by three guides. The great east wall above Macugnaga was first climbed in 1872 by Richard Pendlebury, his brother W. M. Pendlebury, Rev. C. Taylor and the guide Ferdinand Imseng.
Walser settlers brought their language and building traditions to the valleys around the range, where timber houses with stone-slab roofs still stand today. Some peak names come from local dialect and reflect the centuries-old connection between residents and the mountains.
Cable cars from Champoluc and Alagna reach altitudes above 3200 meters (10500 feet), providing access to starting points for further routes. Weather conditions change quickly at elevation, so warm clothing is advisable even in summer.
The east wall towers roughly 2400 meters (7874 feet) above the Italian side, forming the tallest continuous rock-and-ice face in the Alps. From Macugnaga, the wall appears especially imposing because it rises directly above the valley floor.
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