At the heart of any desire to climb a mountain lies a certain aesthetic sensitivity: an attraction towards the beauty of these majestic structures, towards an unspoilt and potentially hostile environment, towards the harmony of sport and movement. Every climber has their preferences, some simple (shape, colour, shape and geology) and others more complex (geographic location, history). Even altitude is a determining factor in choosing a mountaineering goal: the height of a mountain, as well as being a geographic fact, also provides us with information on the size of the mountain compared to its neighbours, its characteristics and the physical commitment required for its ascent. When considering a massif or a mountain range, the highest peak will probably also encompass many of those assets which immediately attract a climber’s attention: the biggest face, the highest ridge, the largest glacier. The extreme nature of high altitude environments, enchanting on a sunny day and hellish in a storm, creates a certain fascination which, once experienced, is difficult to escape. In the alpine range, high altitude environments are usually found around 3000 metres upwards. Only a limited number of peaks reach 4000 m, of which only a handful breach 4500, and only one, Mont Blanc, nears 5000 m. Despite their height being, in relative terms, half of that the Himalayan peaks, the four-thousanders are the genuine “Alpine Giants”: majestic and famous mountains which, above all, hold so much history.
Peaks list:
Barre des Écrins
Dôme de neige des Écrins
Gran Paradiso Aiguille de Bionnassay
Dôme du goûter
Monte Bianco
Mont Blanc du tacul
Mont Maudit
Picco Luigi Amedeo
Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey
Monte Bianco di Courmayeur
Aiguilles du Diable
L'isolée
Pointe Carmen
Pointe Médiane
Pointe Chaubert
Corne du Diable
Traversata delle Aiguilles du Diable
Dente del Gigante
Aiguille de Rochefort
Dôme de Rochefort
Les Grandes Jorasses
Aiguille Verte
Aiguille du Jardin
Grande Rocheuse
Les Droites
Combin de Valsorey
Combin de Grafeneire
Combin de la Tsessette
Dent d'Hérens
Monte Cervino
Dent Blanche
Bishorn
Weisshorn
Ober Gabelhorn
Zinalrothorn
Breithorn occidentale
Breithorn centrale
Breithorn orientale
Gendarme
Roccia Nera
Polluce
Castore
Lyskamm Occidentale
Lyskamm Orientale
Punta Giordani
Piramide Vincent
Corno Nero
Ludwigshöhe
Punta Parrot
Punta Gnifetti
Punta Zumstein
Punta Dufour
Nordend
Strahlhorn
Rimpfischhorn
Allalinhorn
Alphubel
Täschhorn
Dom de Mischabel
Lenzspitze
Nadelhorn
Nadelgrat
Stecknadelhorn
Hobärghorn
Dirruhorn
Weissmies
Lagginhorn
Aletschhorn
Jungfrau
Mönch
Gross Fiescherhorn
Hinter Fiescherhorn
Gross Grünhorn
Finsteraarhorn
Schreckhorn
Lauteraarhorn
Piz Bernina
