Geography
The Weisshorn is situated in the Swiss canton of Valais, about 25 km southwards from the Rhone, on a north-south orientated chain separating the Val d'Anniviers to the west and the Mattertal to the east. After the Dom, the Weisshorn is the second-highest Alpine summit situated completely out the main chain and on both sides the water end up in the Rhone. The Weisshorn is only one of the many peaks surrounding the region of Zermatt, along with the Dent Blanche, the Dent d'Hérens, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa.
The Weisshorn has a pyramidal shape and its faces are separated by three ridges descending steeply from the summit. Two of these are nearly in a straight line, one running approximately north and the other south. The third ridge is nearly at right angles to these two, running almost due east. In the compartment between the northern and eastern spurs lies the Bis Glacier (Bisgletscher). It is connected with the summit by long and extremely steep slopes of snow. In the compartment between the eastern and southern spurs lies the Schali Glacier (Schaligletscher). Ranges of steep rocks rise round the whole basin of this glacier, except in one or two places where they are interrupted by couloirs of snow. Finally, on the western side the mountain presents one gigantic face of rocky precipice. This face rises above the Weisshorn Glacier (Glacier du Weisshorn) and the Moming Glacier. The northern spur forks out at a considerable distance below the summit into two branches enclosing the Turtmann Glacier. The eastern branch connects the mountain with the Bishorn (4,153 m).
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