Cima Altemberg

Cima Altemberg
Altenberg
The Altemberg as seen from Monte Capio
Highest point
Elevation	2,395 m (7,858 ft)
Prominence	94 m (308 ft)
Isolation	1.03 km (0.64 mi)
Coordinates	45°56′11″N 8°12′14″E
Geography
Cima Altemberg Location in the Alps
Location	Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola / Province of Vercelli, Italy
Parent range	Alpi Cusiane (Pennine Alps)
Climbing
Easiest route	hiking from Campello Monti or Rimella

The Altemberg is a mountain in the Pennine Alps of north-western Italy; with an elevation of 2,395 m (7,858 ft) is the highest peak of the Alpi Cusiane.

Toponymy

Altemberg Summit cross

The name of the mountain is connected to the Walser German, a language spoken by people who settled into the upper valley of the Strona and Sesia centuries ago.[1] In German Alten means old[2] while Berg means hill or mountain,[3] so the English meaning of the name could be old mountain (vecchia montagna in Italian[4]).

Geography

View of the summit

The Altemberg is located on the water divide between Strona and Sesia valleys, South of the Bocchetta Stretta pass,[5] which divides it from the neighbouring Cima Lago. Towards SE the ridge goes on with a saddle named Bocchetta delle Vacche and the Cima del Pizzo (2,233 m).[6] Administratively the mountain belongs to both the comunes of Rimella (West of the summit) and Valstrona.[7] On its summit stands a metallic cross.[8]

SOIUSA classification

Altemberg (left) and Cima Lago

According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:[9]

• main part = Western Alps
• major sector = North Western Alps
• section = Pennine Alps
• subsection = Southern Valsesia Alps
• supergroup = Alpi Cusiane
• group = Costiera Capio-Massa del Turlo
• code = I/B-9.IV-B.3

Access to the summit

The Altemberg can be accessed following a footpath from Campello Monti, a village in the comune of Valstrona, or from Rimella, in Valsesia.[10] The ridge between connecting the Altemberg with Cima Lago needs some climbing skill to be crossed and is rated as PD grade [4]

Nature conservation

Cima Altemberg is part of the regional park of Alta Val Sesia e dell'Alta Val Strona.[11]

References

1. "Walser" (in Italian). Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
2. "English translation of 'Alt'". Collins. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
3. "English translation of 'Berg'". Collins. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
4. Castello, Alessandro; Protto, Elio; Zoia, Sandro (2013). "Costiera Val Mastallone - Valle Strona". Alpi biellesi e valsesiane. Guida dei Monti d'Italia (in Italian). CAI / Touring. p. 292.
5. Also named Tesslu, see Boffa, Felice (1960). Monte Rosa: 98 schizzi, 40 fotoincisioni (in Italian). Club Alpino Italiano. p. 573.
6. titty79. "Capezzone (Cima) da Campello Monti, anello per Cima Lago, Altemberg e Pizzo" (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-04-08.
7. Carta Tecnica Regionale raster 1:10.000 (vers.3.0), Regione Piemonte, year 2007
8. Ceragioli, Filippo; Molino, Aldo (2018). "Alla testata della valle Strona". Escursioni imperdibili nei parchi del Piemonte e dintorni (in Italian). Edizioni del Capricorno. pp. 32–36.
9. Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. p. 134. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.
10. "Rimella - Altemberg per la Bocchetta delle Vacche (Kihefurku)" (in Italian). CAI - Sezione di Varallo. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
11. "Val Strona" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2019-04-10.

External links

Media related to Altemberg at Wikimedia Commons