Alps Giants - Matterhorn and Cervinia

For some time now I have been planning to create a VASTPHOTO of the Matterhorn massif, one of the most famous mountains of the Alps ever. I made attempts in the summer, but the constant presence of very thick clouds always prevented their sight.

Taking advantage of a long period of drought that has lasted for months with always clear skies, in January 2022 I went to the city of Cervinia and I was able to take very high resolution photos of the mountain and capture details never seen before in a photograph.

The weather conditions were perfect for taking photos in very high resolution: wind, dry air and very accentuated visibility, soft winter light. The sky was absolutely clear of clouds throughout the day: perhaps not interesting, but this allowed to collect all the possible details with great detail in every part of the image.

If you explore the photo you will see a great deal of detail, both of the mountain with its variegated rocks of different colors, and of the surrounding structures of the various facilities of the City of Cervinia, including several skiers while carrying out sports activities.

I now report some data from the mountains and the surrounding area.

The Matterhorn (Cervin in French; Matterhorn in German) is a mountain of the Alps 4478 meters high, seventh peak and third Italian mountain by altitude, located in the Western Alps (Pennine Alps - Weisshorn and Matterhorn Alps - Chain Bouquetins-Matterhorn chain), along the border between Italy and Switzerland (west of the Monte Rosa massif, east of the Grand Combin and south-west of the Mischabel Massif).

With a prominence of 1031 meters (it is necessary to descend to Col Durand (3451 meters) to climb to higher peaks) and an isolation of 13.7 kilometers (the highest mountain of it closest is the Western Lyskamm (4481 meters), in the Monte Rosa massif), it stands isolated from the rest of the other surrounding peaks and overlooks the villages of Breuil-Cervinia in the south in Italy and Zermatt in the north in Switzerland, well-known summer and winter tourist resorts.

Characterized by the particular very pronounced pyramidal shape, it has significantly marked the history of mountaineering: its north face is in fact one of the classic north walls of the Alps and around it develops the Ski area of the Matterhorn Ski Paradise with the possibility of summer skiing on the glacier of the Plateau Rosa.

The lower part of the Matterhorn consists of gabbro, while the central part consists mainly of ortogneiss, a high-grade metamorphic rock formed due to the collision between plates from Europe and Africa. This collision, which probably occurred around a hundred million years ago, raised the mountain range of the Alps, forming numerous peaks.

The particular shape of the Matterhorn was subsequently caused by erosion: four glacial cirques were formed leaving a pyramidal peak in the center. Other examples of this geological evolution are the Ama Dablam, in the Himalayas, or the Cimon della Pala, in the Dolomites. The ridge is formed by crystalline shales.

Due to its location on the main Alpine watershed and its considerable height, the Matterhorn is exposed to sudden weather variations. In particular, in the leeward part the characteristic flag cloud is often formed.

For a long time the Matterhorn was considered inviolable for the boldness of its walls. In the nineteenth century many mountaineers approached the mountain without being able to win it. The first recorded attempts date back to the years 1858-1859. The summit was conquered on July 14, 1865 at 13:40.

Some data about the Cervinia resort now.

Breuil-Cervinia is a mountain resort belonging to the municipality of Valtournenche (Valle d'Aosta), located at an altitude of 2050 meters at the foot of the Matterhorn and is considered one of the most famous winter and summer tourist resorts in the Alps. It rises at 2050 m a.s.l.m.. It is one of the highest permanent population centers in Europe, along with Juf, Trepalle and Sestriere. It is located at the northern limit of Valtournenche, on the southern slopes of the Matterhorn. Breuil-Cervinia is divided by the Marmore stream, one of the main tributaries of the Dora Baltea, is surrounded by the glaciers of the Grandes Murailles, the Matterhorn group and Monte Rosa. From the locality you can see the Matterhorn, the Château des Dames, the Grandes Murailles, the Lion's Head, the Furggen, the Little Matterhorn, the Grey Head, the western Breithorn and the Bec del Pio Merlo.

Near Breuil-Cervinia there is the Colle del Teodulo, one of the most important Alpine passes in Roman and medieval times. It is 27 km from Châtillon, 30 from Saint-Vincent, about 50 from Aosta and about 10 km as the crow flies from Zermatt, to which it is connected via the ski lifts of the Matterhorn Ski Paradise. At about 2500 m of altitude is located the town of Plan Maison, while at about 3500 m, connected by the cable car that arrives at Testa Grigia, on the border with Switzerland, there is the Plateau Rosa. The climate is alpine: winters are cold, with intense snowfall, and temperatures very frequently fall below zero. Summers are cool and short.

In the surroundings of Breuil-Cervinia, especially in the summer, it is not difficult to meet foxes, chamois, ibex, roe deer, vipers, bearded vultures and marmots. Less frequent are the sightings of capercaillie, ermines and squirrels. In recent years there have also been sightings of wolves.