Testa del Leone

Testa del Leone from the southeast, on the right the Colle del Leone

The Testa del Leone (Italian, in French: Tête du Lion, both meaning, lion's head ') is a 3'715 m above sea level. M. high mountain in the border ridge between Switzerland and Italy between Matterhorn ( 4,478 m above sea level. M. ) and Hérens ( 4'171 m above sea level. M. ). The comb is here part of the Alps and forms the watershed between Rhône and Po.

Location

The Testa del Leone is located 1 ¼ miles southwest of the Matterhorn, and is separated from it by the Colle del Leone ( 3'580 m above sea level. M. ). At Colle del Leone the southwest ridge of the Matterhorn, which is also known as Lion's Ridge begins. The course of the frontier ridge turns to the Testa del Leone to west, and three kilometers west rises in the ridge of the Dent d' Hérens that ( 3'473 m above sea level. M. ) is separated from the Testa del Leone by the Colle Tournanche.

On the south side of the Testa del Leone are two smaller glaciers, namely southwest of the Ghiacciaio del Leone, southeast of Ghiacciaio Superiore del Cervino. To the north extends the Tiefmatt Glacier, a glacier source of Zmuttgletschers, to near the Testa del Leone zoom.

Ascent

Starting point of an ascent is usually the Rifugio degli Abruzzi on the south side of the mountain. Often, the Testa del Leone is exceeded at an ascent of the Matterhorn from the Italian side to reach the Rifugio Carrel. The first known ascent was made in 1857, starting from Breuil- Cervinia in Valtournenche.