Pilatus (mountain)
Pilatus | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Tomlishorn |
Elevation | 2,128.5 m (6,983 ft) |
Prominence | 585 m (1,919 ft)[1] |
Parent peak | Brienzer Rothorn |
Isolation | 16.7 km (10.4 mi)[2] |
Coordinates | 46°58′26″N 8°14′28″E / 46.97389°N 8.24111°E |
Naming | |
Language of name | German |
Geography | |
Country | Obwalden |
Parent range | Emmental Alps |
Topo map | Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 14th century |
Easiest route | Pilatus Railway (world's steepest cogwheel railway) |
Pilatus, also often referred to as Mount Pilatus, is a
Geography and transport
The whole mountain range stretches at least from the
The highest peak, Tomlishorn (2,128.5 m [6,983 ft]), and the other peaks, such as Widderfeld (2,076 m [6,811 ft]) even further west than the Tomlishorn on the border between LU and OW, Matthorn (2,040 m [6,690 ft]) to the south, the Klimsenhorn (1,906 m [6,253 ft]) to the north (UW), and Rosegg (1,974 m [6,476 ft]) and Windegg (1,673 m [5,489 ft]) to the east, both on the border of UW and OW, should only be approached with appropriate Alpine hiking equipment.
Jurisdiction over the massif is divided between the cantons of
The top can be reached with the
During the summer, the "Golden Round Trip" — a popular route for tourists — involves taking a boat from Lucerne across Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad, going up on the cogwheel railway, coming down on the aerial cableways and panorama gondolas, and taking a bus back to Lucerne.
History
A few different local legends about the origin of the name exist. One claims that Pilatus was named so because Pontius Pilate was buried there.[3] However, a similar legend is told of Monte Vettore in Italy. Another is that the mountain looks like the belly of a large man, Pilate, lying on his back and was thus named for him. The name may also be derived from "pileatus", meaning "cloud-topped."
Numbered amongst those who have reached its summit are Conrad Gessner, Theodore Roosevelt, Arthur Schopenhauer (1804), Queen Victoria and Julia Ward Howe (1867).
The cog railway opened in 1889.
The mountain has fortified radar (part of the Swiss FLORAKO system) and weather stations on the Oberhaupt summit, not open to the public view and used all year round.
Gallery
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Pilatus mountain seen from Gisikon Root
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Panoramic view towards Mythen
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A view of the Hotel and Restaurant, the cog railway top station, and the Esel peak in the back
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Cable car descending
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Ibex family near summit
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A view from the cog-wheel railway
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Chapel on Pilatus
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Cableway
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Paraglider taking off from summit
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Pilatus seen from Stanserhorn funicular
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Pilatus with the Alpnachersee below seen from Stanserhorn
Weather
Climate data for Pilatus (2106m a.s.l., Reference Period 1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
0.6 (33.1) |
3.2 (37.8) |
7.1 (44.8) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
12.8 (55.0) |
9.6 (49.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.7 (36.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
5.4 (41.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.8 (25.2) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.0 (39.2) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.5 (20.3) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
1.3 (34.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 164 (6.5) |
155 (6.1) |
150 (5.9) |
163 (6.4) |
153 (6.0) |
168 (6.6) |
163 (6.4) |
161 (6.3) |
110 (4.3) |
98 (3.9) |
132 (5.2) |
173 (6.8) |
1,791 (70.5) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.2 | 11.3 | 13.3 | 12.8 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 14.4 | 13.9 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 13.7 | 155.2 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
64 | 66 | 72 | 77 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 68 | 65 | 74 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 124 | 132 | 155 | 156 | 152 | 146 | 162 | 165 | 154 | 159 | 116 | 106 | 1,726 |
Percent possible sunshine | 51 | 50 | 45 | 41 | 35 | 33 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 52 | 48 | 47 | 42 |
Source: MeteoSwiss[4] |
In literature
In The Chalet School Does It Again. (1955) Elinor Brent-Dyer retells the Pilate burial place legend.
Mount Pilatus plays a pivotal role in the conclusion of Brad Thor's fiction novel Lions of Lucerne.
See also
- List of mountains of Switzerland
- List of most isolated mountains of Switzerland
- List of mountains of Switzerland accessible by public transport
- List of mountains of Switzerland named after people
References
- ^ Retrieved from the Swisstopo topographic maps. The key col is the Glaubenberg Pass (1,543 m).
- ^ Retrieved from Google Earth. The nearest point of higher elevation is north of the Widderfeld Stock.
- ^ "In Swiss Alps, Tales Stand as Tall as the Mountains". Los Angeles Times. 2 April 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Climate Normals Pilatus (Reference period 1991−2020)" (PDF). Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
External links