Piz Palü
| Piz Palü | |
|---|---|
The northern side of Piz Palü from Diavolezza | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,899 m (12,792 ft) |
| Prominence | 223 m (732 ft) |
| Parent peak | Piz Zupò |
| Isolation | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Coordinates | 46°22′42″N 9°57′38″E / 46.37833°N 9.96056°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | Graubünden, Switzerland - Lombardy, Italy |
| Parent range | Bernina Range |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1866 by K. E. Digby with guide Peter Jenny and a porter |
| Easiest route | Snow climb from Diavolezza over the Pers Glacier |
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, located between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large glaciated massif composed of three main summits, on a ridge running from west to east. The main (and central) summit is 3,899 metres high and is located within the Swiss canton of Graubünden, although the border with the Italian region of Lombardy runs about 100 metres west of it at almost the same height (3,898 m). The western summit (3,823 m; on the international border) is named Piz Spinas and is the only one not covered by ice. The eastern summit (3,882 m; within Switzerland) is named Piz Palü Orientale. The name Palü derives from the Latin palus, meaning a swamp, and the mountain is said to be named after the Alpe Palü, a high alpine pasture some 4 km to its east.