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Dom
North face of Dom
General
Elevation	4,545 m14,911.417 ft 2.824 miles
Prominence	1,045 m3,428.478 ft 0.649 miles
Location	Valais, Switzerland
Range	Pennine Alps
Massif	Mischabel
Coordinates
DMS Coor.	46°5´42"N, 7°51´36"E
Swiss Coor.	632502 / 104794
Links	Topographic Detail Coordinates Information
Nearby Features
Dirruhorn, Hobärghorn, Kinhorn, Lenzspitze, Mischabel, Mischabel Hut, Mischabeljoch Bivouac, Nadelhorn, Stecknadelhorn, Täschhorn, Ulrichshorn
Alpinist's Info
Topo. Map	SLK 1328: Randa
Easiest Route	PD
Map
Dom

[edit] General information

The Dom (correct name: Dom de Mischabel) is a massive and impressive mountain above Saas Fee in the canton of Valais in the Pennine Alps. It's situated at the mid-length point of the Strahlhorn-Mischabel Group, the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland. With its 4,545 m (14,911 ft) summit it is the third highest peak in the Alps after the Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa - (Dufourspitze, Nordend, Zumsteinspitze and Signalkuppe (Punta Gnifetti)). It's the second highest mountain in Switzerland and the highest mountain completely in Swiss territory, since the Monte Rosa peaks are on the Swiss-Italian border. The Dom is situated between its twin Täschhorn (4,491m) to the South and the pyramid of the Lenzspitze (4,294m) to the North.

[edit] Summits and subsummits

The name “Mischabel” comes from a ancient German dialect term for “pitchfork for the manure” and it was the former name of the Dom, even during years where the name entitled the whole mountain range. What makes folks call this summit the “pitchfork” is the presence of many peaks close to each other, in fact the Dom has one main peak and two secondary peaks:

• The highest one (with a cross) lies in the middle, it is 4545,42 meters heigh with a trapezium shape (if viewed from North or South).
• The Western one is the so-called “Gabel” and it represents the Dom’s antisummit: it is 4,480 m high.
• The Eastern one is the summit of a Grand Gendarme with an elevation of 4,468 m.

[edit] Ridges and saddles

The Dom’s shape is quite complex and it presents five ridges:

• The least important and briefest one is the summit ridge between the Dom summit and the Gabel (Dom’s antisummit) and it has a length of 230 m.
• The two main ridges are the NNE and the S ridge. These ridges link Dom to the Lenzspitze – (toward N), and to the Täschhorn up to the Alphubel and the Allalinhorn (toward S), creating a great wall on the E side of the Mischabel-Stahlhorn Group, covered by the large Fee Glacier. On the NNE ridge just under the Lenzspitze S side there is the Lenzjoch, while on the S ridge there’s the Domjoch (the pass between Dom and Täschhorn): both of these passes are narrow and difficult to get over.
• The other two ridges, W and NW run almost parallel from the summit ridge, creating three areas on the W side of the Dom. On the NW ridge there is the Festijoch a large saddle between the Festi Glacier (to the S) and the Hohberg Glacier (to the N).

[edit] Sides

The system of ridges all around the Dom’s summit creates four main sides for this mountain:

• The most important one is the E wall which is impressive, steep and icy (it is covered by the Fee Glacier and continues from the Allalinhorn to the Lenzspitze, above the village of Saas Fee
• The SW side is also icy, covered by the King Glacier.
• The N side is completely icy, covered by the Hohberg Glacier: the Normal route runs here.
• The W side is icy, held between the W and NW ridges and is covered by the Festi Glacier.

[edit] Name

Its name could be derived from a dialect term for “dome” or “cathedral” but some people say that the name Dom comes from the name Domherr (German term near “priest”) Berchtold, the first man to measure the heights of the Mischabel.

overview of the Dom with route from Dom Hut via Festijoch

[edit] Routes

[edit] Additional photos

Early sun on Dom

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