The Pennine Alps

The Pennine Alps are a towering mountain range marking the border between the canton of Valais in Switzerland and the Italian provinces of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. They are located in the western part of the Alps, with the Mont Blanc massif flanking them to the West and Lepontine Alps to the East. With over thirty 4,000m / 13,000ft + peaks including the famous  Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, a trail through the Pennine Alps features on the bucket list of most hikers.

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Pennine Alps: Shaded in blue

The availability of mountain accommodation and transportation has created many incredible day and overnight hiking experiences in the Pennine Alps. The top 5 multi-day experiences in this area are:

• Walker’s Haute Route (~ 213km / 132mi): along the North side 

• Alta Via 1 - Aosta Valley (~ 190km / 118mi) : along the South side

• Tour of Monte Rosa (164km / 102mi): around the East end

• Tour des Combins (100km / 62mi): around the West end

• Tour of the Matterhorn (107km / 66mi): around the middle section

Experienced mountaineers also have the original ‘Haute Route’ which follows the Pennine Alps mountain chain, spending much of its time on glaciated terrain. This route was first forged by the English Alpine Club in the mid-19th century and has become a popular ski route in the Spring months too.

The rugged high mountain terrain of the Pennine Alps offers few opportunities for easy passage between Switzerland and Italy.  For hikers, only four trails become snow-free in the summer and a further two remain glaciated year-round (but can be crossed with a guide). Col du Grand Saint Bernard on the West end and Simplon pass on the East offer the easiest places to cross the Pennine Alps and have been used by travelers as far back as the Bronze Age — about 800 B.C.  Nowadays, roads have been built over these two passes and you’ll often hear the roar of sports cars enjoying the high mountain switchbacks.

Aside from the big mountain vistas, some of the unique highlights in the area include seeing the Valais Blackneck goat, the origin of raclette and fontina cheeses (which are a culinary highlight in their own right!); the tallest gravity dam in the world (Grande Dixence); the highest peak in Switzerland (Monte Rosa); and longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the alps (Charles Kuonen suspension bridge).

Valais blackneck goat

Raclette

Grand Dixence Dam

East Side of Monte Rosa from Rifugio Oberto

Charles Kuonen suspension bridge

Lac Des Dix from Refuge la Barma

Col du Grand Saint Bernard holds particular historical significance as Napoleon crossed here with his army to surprise Austrian forces in Genoa. A famous painting (considered a propaganda masterpiece) was produced to mark the occasion and ultimate triumph of the campaign. In the painting, Napoleon is wearing a magnificent cloak on a rearing charger, when in actual fact, he crossed the pass riding a donkey, wearing a simple grey greatcoat. Hannibal is also etched into the foreground of the painting which aims to draw a comparison with other great generals and has fueled the debate as to whether Col du Grand Saint Bernard was where he crossed the Alps with his African war elephants to strike at Rome.

Napoleon crossing the Alps: Jacques-Louis David, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Pennine Alps is also home to The Great St Bernard Hospice was originally a monastic shelter founded in the Middle Ages, led by Augustinian monks. The hospitality of the monks is legendary and continues on as a hospice welcoming pilgrims and hikers, and a museum, today. Founded in 1049, the hospice became famous for its breeding and use of St Bernard dogs in rescue operations.

The Saint Bernard dog: Large size, and gentle temperament originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass.

Hiking in this inspiring part of the world was where the idea for The Hiking Club was born and therefore thought there was no better location to kick off our ‘Trails of the world spotlight’. Many of you have experience hiking in the Pennine Alps so we’d invite you to share any highlights or interesting history from the area that you discovered.

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Author: Brendan Jones, The Hiking Club
A pizza-making, craft beer-loving, peanut butter connoisseur that has been exploring the great outdoors since completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award in high school. He started The Hiking Club to democratise hiking and the benefits that come from spending time in nature. You can read more about Brendan and the team here.

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