Piz Corvatsch

Piz Corvatsch ([ˌpitskorˈvatʃ] ) is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, overlooking Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana in the Engadin region of the canton of Graubünden. With an elevation of 3,451 m (11,322 ft), it is the highest point on the range separating the main Inn valley from the Val Roseg. Aside from Piz Corvatsch, two other slightly lower summits make up the Corvatsch massif: Piz Murtèl (3,433 m (11,263 ft); north of Piz Corvatsch) and the unnamed summit where lies the Corvatsch upper cable car station (3,303 m (10,837 ft); north of Piz Murtèl). Politically, the summit of Piz Corvatsch is shared between the municipalities of Sils im Engadin and Samedan, although the 3,303 m high summit lies between the municipalities of Silvaplana and Samedan. The tripoint between the aforementioned municipalities is the summit of Piz Murtèl.

Piz Corvatsch
Piz Corvatsch seen from Lake Sils
Highest point
Elevation3,451 m (11,322 ft)
Prominence383 m (1,257 ft) [1]
Parent peakPiz Bernina
Isolation5.2 km (3.2 mi) [2]
ListingAlpine mountains above 3000 m
Coordinates46°24′30″N 9°48′58″E 
Naming
English translationCrow (or raven) peak
Geography
Piz Corvatsch
Location in Switzerland
LocationGraubünden, Switzerland
Parent rangeBernina Range
Climbing
First ascent1850 by Johann Coaz and party[3]
Easiest routeFrom the Corvatsch station

Several glaciers lie on the east side on the massif. The largest, below Piz Corvatsch, is named Vadret dal Murtèl. The second largest, below Piz Murtèl and the station, is named Vadret dal Corvatsch.

The Corvatsch cable car starts above the village of Surlej, east of Silvaplana and culminates at 3,298 m. From there, the summit of Piz Corvatsch can be reached by traversing Piz Murtèl. In winter and spring, the mountain is part of a ski area, which is amongst the highest in Switzerland and the Eastern Alps.

View from the observation deck of the Corvatsch station. On the right is Piz Murtèl and on the middle-left is Piz Bernina, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. The summit of Piz Corvatsch lies behind Piz Murtèl.

Climate

Piz Corvatsch has an alpine tundra climate (ET) with long, cold winters lasting most of the year and a brief period during summer where the average daily highs rise above freezing.

Climate data for Piz Corvatsch (1981-2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −8.6
(16.5)		 −9.5
(14.9)		 −8.2
(17.2)		 −6.0
(21.2)		 −1.5
(29.3)		 1.8
(35.2)		 4.8
(40.6)		 4.9
(40.8)		 1.6
(34.9)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −5.7
(21.7)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 −3.0
(26.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −11.3
(11.7)		 −12.1
(10.2)		 −10.8
(12.6)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 2.3
(36.1)		 2.3
(36.1)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −8.1
(17.4)		 −10.6
(12.9)		 −5.4
(22.3)
Average low °C (°F) −13.8
(7.2)		 −14.8
(5.4)		 −13.4
(7.9)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −2.7
(27.1)		 −0.2
(31.6)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −5.5
(22.1)		 −10.5
(13.1)		 −13.1
(8.4)		 −7.8
(18.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 45
(1.8)		 41
(1.6)		 52
(2.0)		 68
(2.7)		 97
(3.8)		 104
(4.1)		 104
(4.1)		 105
(4.1)		 81
(3.2)		 77
(3.0)		 71
(2.8)		 56
(2.2)		 900
(35.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6.9 6.4 8.6 10.8 13.3 12.9 11.9 11.8 9.0 8.9 9.1 8.1 117.7
Average relative humidity (%) 62 64 71 77 80 80 77 77 75 68 68 66 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours 149 160 188 171 177 182 216 195 181 179 135 130 2,063
Source: MeteoSwiss [4]

See also

References
  1. Retrieved from the Swisstopo topographic maps. The key col is the Fuorcla Fex-Roseg (3,068 m).
  2. Retrieved from Google Earth. The nearest point of higher elevation is northwest of Piz Roseg.
  3. Collomb, Robin, Bernina Alps, Goring: West Col Productions, 1988, p. 109.
  4. "Climate Norm Value Tables". Climate diagrams and normals from Swiss measuring stations. Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss). Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013. The weather station elevation is 3305 meters above sea level.
  • Collomb, Robin, Bernina Alps, Goring: West Col Productions, 1988

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