Dom

Dom, Saas-Fee, Visp, Wallis, 3906, Švicarska

The Dom, nestled in Switzerland’s Pennine Alps between Randa and Saas-Fee in Valais, stands at 4,545 meters, making it the seventh highest peak in the Alps. Known for its prominence, it’s regarded as the Alps’ third highest mountain and the second highest in Switzerland after Monte Rosa. The Dom is the central peak of the Mischabel group, the tallest massif entirely within Switzerland.

Unique for its ‘normal route,’ the Dom’s ascent features the highest vertical gain among all alpine 4,000-meter peaks, a climb achieved without mechanical assistance. The mountain’s name, derived from Canon Berchtold of Sitten cathedral, reflects its majestic stature akin to a ‘cathedral.’

Geographically, the Dom sits in a chain extending from the Schwarzberghorn to the Distelhorn, bordering two valleys – Mattertal to the west and Saastal to the east, with towns Randa and Saas-Fee nearby. Remarkably, it is the highest mountain in the Alps where both sides’ rivers feed into the same major river, the Rhone. The Mischabel group, of which the Dom is a part, includes several peaks over 4,000 meters, notably forming the striking Nadelgrat.

Geologically, the massif primarily consists of gneiss from the Siviez-Mischabel nappe, part of the Briançonnais microcontinent in the Penninic nappes.