Now that my lovely attempt at Yodeling has drawn your attention to my newest post, I have decided we are going to spend our last day in Switzerland in the Swiss Alps!
The Swiss Alps are a prominent feature on the European continent. If you see them from the sky (which I have) they look just like wrinkles in a pair of jeans, but up close you being to realize: those are some pretty big pairs of jeans....
Compromised of mainly limestone, marble, and granite, the Alpine mountain range was actually not present over 500 million years ago. Natural shifting of the Earth's tectonic plates are the cause of its existence. The African tectonic plate started to move up towards the Asian and European plates causing pressure, thusly forcing the rise of new mountains up from the ocean floor.
The highest peak in the Alpine Mountain range is Mont Blanc at 15,782 feet, on the French-Italian border. But in Switzerland, the highest peak is Monte Rosa, standing strong at 15,202 feet near Switzerland’s Italian border. The highest mountain, though, in Switzerland is the Dom, straddling the skyline at 14,911 feet. To put that in perspective, that would be as tall as 150 school buses stacked on top of each other!
But surprisingly, the growths of the Swiss Alps are still going on! The Swiss Alps are still a baby range, but by adding an average rate of 0.04 inches per year, they are on the rise. One can tell by the shape of any mountain range how relatively “old” they are. If a range’s summits are jagged and rough, the mountain range is fairly new- like the Alps. If the peaks are rounded off and smooth, it implies that the mounds of dirt and stone have been eroded down and re-shaped by the wind or other natural forces.
But in our time there, we’ll be focusing more on the tourist aspect! Various tours are offered and an ample amount of cable car systems are available. Here are a few images of what we would see from the inside of our cable car:
The Matterhorn
Map of the Alpine Mountain Range
Okay, so maybe not so much of this last image, but you get the idea. The range is so vast, it is hard to capture all it's beauty in one shot!
Just like they say you are what you eat, "you are how your geographical features are! ~Ninjasurfer." This can directly relate to Switzerland. It's vast culture and gorgeous landscapes make it one of the most breathtaking places on Earth.
Alas, i fee this moment is appropriate to conclude our Swiss vacation. As a parting gift, i give you one last look of glorious and awesome geographical wonder that is the Swiss Alps!
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