Lepontine Alps

Geschichte

The Lepontine Alps are a mountain range in the north-western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy .The Simplon rail tunnel the Gotthard rail and Gotthard road tunnels and the San Bernardino road tunnel are important transport arteries.The eastern portion of the Lepontine Alps, from the St Gotthard Pass to the Splügen Pass, is sometimes named the Adula Alps.EtymologyThe designation Lepontine Alps, derived from the Latin name of the Val Leventina, has long been somewhat vaguely applied to the Alpine ranges that enclose it, before being used for the whole range.GeographyFollowing the line marking the division of the waters that flow into the Po from those that feed the Rhone or the Rhine, the main ridge of the Lepontine Alps describes a somewhat irregular curve, convex to the north, from the Simplon Pass to the Splugen Pass. With the single exception of the Monte Leone, overlooking the pass of the Simplon, the summits of this portion of the chain are much inferior in height to those of the neighbouring chains; but two peaks of the Adula group, culminating at the Rheinwaldhorn, exceed 11000ft in height.