The Dom
The Dom is a mountain in the Pennine Alps above Saas Fee in the canton ofValais. With its 4,545 m (14,911 ft) summit it is the third highest peak in the Alpsand the second highest in Switzerland. The Dom is the summit of the Mischabelrange, the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland.
The Dom is the culminating point of a chain running from Schwarzberghorn on the south, at the intersection with the main chain of the Alps ( Alpine watershed ), to the Seetalhorn on the north and ending above the town of Stalden.
Many high summits are located within a few kilometers from the Dom. To the north lies the Nadelgrat, composed of the Lenzspitze, Nadelhorn and Stecknadelhorn. The Nadelgrat is easily visible from the north and gives the massif its characteristic pitchfork appearance. The second highest peak of the massif, the Täschhorn to the south, culminates at 4,491 metres. In total eight summits above 4,000 metres are located in the Mischabel range.[3]
Generally, areas above 3,000 metres are covered by glaciers, the two largest being the Ried situated at the foot of the Nadelgrat and theFee, at the foot of the Dom itself, below the east face. Mt. Dom is a depositional mountain.
The two valleys separated by the range are the Mattertal on the west and theSaastal on the east. The towns ofRanda and Saas Fee lie six kilometres from the summit (to the west and the east, respectively).
Since the Dom is not on the main Alpine chain, the rivers flowing on both the west and east side of the massif end up in the same major river, theRhone. The Dom is the highest mountain in the Alps with this peculiarity.
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