The Bernese Alps are a mountain range of the Alps, located in western Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Berner Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Fribourg and Vaud, the latter being usually named Fribourg Alps and Vaud Alps respectively. The highest mountain in the range, the Finsteraarhorn, is also the highest point in the canton of Bern.
Valais, or Wallis, more formally the Canton of Valais, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. The flag of the canton is made of thirteen stars representing the districts, on a white-red background.
Vaud, more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its flag bears the motto "Liberté et patrie" on a white-green background.
The Finsteraarhorn is a mountain lying on the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais. It is the highest mountain of the Bernese Alps and the most prominent peak of Switzerland. The Finsteraarhorn is the ninth-highest mountain and third-most prominent peak in the Alps. In 2001 the whole massif and surrounding glaciers were designated as part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage Site.
Bex is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle. It is a few kilometers south of its sister town municipality of Aigle.
The Diablerets are a huge ice-covered mountain massif of the Alps, culminating at the Sommet des Diablerets at 3,210 metres (10,530 ft) above sea level and straddling the border between the Swiss cantons of Vaud (VD) and Valais (VS). The northeastern part of the massif stretches also into the canton of Bern (BE).
The Grand Combin is a mountain massif in the western Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais. At a height of 4,314 metres (14,154 ft) the summit of Combin de Grafeneire is one of the highest peaks in the Alps and the second most prominent of the Pennine Alps. The Grand Combin is also a large glaciated massif consisting of several summits, among which three are above 4000 metres. The highest part of the massif is wholly in Switzerland, although the border with Italy lies a few kilometres south.
The Wildstrubel is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the border between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais. It forms a large glaciated massif, about 15 km wide, extending between the Rawil Pass and the Gemmi Pass. Along with the Muverans, the Diablerets and the Wildhorn, the Wildstrubel is one of the four distinct mountain massifs of the Bernese Alps that lie west of the Gemmi Pass. The massif of the Wildstrubel is at the centre between the valleys of Simmental (BE), Engstligental (BE) and the Rhone (VS), the exact location of the tripoint being the summit of the Schneehorn. It comprises several distinct summits, including the Wetzsteinhorn, the Rohrbachstein, the Weisshorn, the Pointe de la Plaine Morte, Mont Bonvin, the Trubelstock and the Schneehorn. The main crest with the almost equally high summits of the Mittelgipfel and the Grossstrubel forms an amphitheatre oriented eastward which ends at the Steghorn and the Daubenhorn. This area encloses the Wildstrubel Glacier. To the southwest, the Wildstrubel overlooks the high plateau of the Plaine Morte Glacier, which also includes an unnamed lake below the Schneehorn.
The Wildhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the border between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais. At 3,248 metres (10,656 ft) above sea level, it is the highest summit of the Bernese Alps west of the Gemmi Pass. It forms a large glaciated massif, about 10 km wide, extending between the Sanetsch Pass and the Rawil Pass. Along with the Muverans, the Diablerets and the Wildstrubel, the Wildhorn is one of the four distinct mountain massifs of the Bernese Alps that lie west of the Gemmi Pass. The massif of the Wildhorn is at the centre between the valleys of the Saane, Simme and the Rhone (Valais). It comprises several distinct summits, including the Arpelistock, Le Sérac, the Geltenhorn, the Sex Noir, the Sex Rouge, the Schnidehorn and the Six des Eaux Froides. The main crest is between the glaciers named Tungelgletscher and Glacier du Wildhorn. South of the main summit is the almost equally high summit of Mont Pucel. The Wildhorn is surrounded by several large mountain lakes: the Lac de Sénin, the Lauenensee, the Iffigsee, the Lac de Tseuzier and the Lac des Audannes. The Tungelgletscher, on the north-east face, was measured as 1.9 km in length in 1973.
The Dent de Morcles is a 2,969 metres high mountain located at western end of the Bernese Alps, overlooking the Rhone between Martigny and St. Maurice. It is the westernmost summit of the Muverans massif, which in turn is the westernmost of the four distinct mountain massifs of the Bernese Alps that lie west of the Gemmi Pass. Its position at the end of this chain of mountains and the abrupt drop to the wide valley of the Rhone river below make the Dent de Morcles prominently visible from many points in Lausanne and other populated areas on the north and northeastern shores of Lake Geneva.
The Oldenhorn is a mountain in the western Bernese Alps in Switzerland. The summit is the tripoint between the cantons of Vaud, Berne and Valais.
The Scex Rouge is a mountain of the Alps, overlooking Les Diablerets in the canton of Vaud. Along with the Oldenhorn to the east, it is one of the main peaks of the Diablerets, a huge ice-covered mountain near the western end of the Bernese Alps, straddling the border between the cantons of Vaud, Valais, and Bern, and exceeding 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level. On its west side, the Scex Rouge is part of a nearly 2,000-metre-high (6,600 ft) amphitheatre of cliffs surrounding the Creux de Champ valley, south of Les Diablerets. On its southeast side, the Scex Rouge overlooks the Tsanfleuron Glacier, the largest in the massif. Administratively, the mountain is part of the municipality of Ormont-Dessus, which also includes Les Diablerets.
The Petit Muveran is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, overlooking Ovronnaz in Valais. The summit is located on the border between Vaud and Valais. As its name suggests, it is situated near the higher Grand Muveran.
The Tête à Pierre Grept is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, located between the cantons of Vaud and Valais. It is situated in the region between the Grand Muveran and Pas de Cheville. On the northern side lies the small Glacier de Paneirosse.
The Tête Ronde is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located in the canton of Vaud, near the summit of the Diablerets massif of which it is a part. With an elevation of 3,037 metres above sea level, the Tête Ronde is the highest summit entirely within the canton of Vaud. Within the Diablerets massif, two summits that form part of the canton's border, the Diableret summit directly to the east and Oldenhorn peak, a short distance to the northeast, are both higher than the Tête Ronde.
The Pas de Cheville is a high mountain pass across the western Bernese Alps, connecting Gryon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and Derborence in the canton of Valais.
Derborence is a hamlet in the municipality of Conthey, in the canton of Valais, in Switzerland. It is located at 1,450 metres in an isolated valley on the south side of the Bernese Alps and is not permanently inhabited. Derborence is completely surrounded by mountains: The Diablerets (highest) on the north, Haut de Cry on the south and Mont Gond on the east. Derborence can be reached by a road from Conthey, or by foot from Gryon, using the Pas de Cheville.
Sanetsch Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland across the western Bernese Alps, connecting Gsteig in the canton of Berne and Sion in the canton of Valais. Although a road leads to the pass from Sion and goes further to the Lac de Sanetsch, it can not be completely traversed by car. In the summer season the pass is accessible by PostBus and can also be traversed by cable car. The highest point of the road is at 2,252 metres.
Ovronnaz is a village located in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies in the municipality of Leytron, close to Martigny.
The Dent Favre is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, located between the Dent de Morcles and the Grand Muveran. Its summit straddles the border between the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Valais.
