Peak Tomlishorn Parent peak Brienzer Rothorn Cantons Nidwalden and Obwalden Elevation 2,128 m First ascent 1400 Mountain range Uri Alps, Emmental Alps | Isolation 16.7 km (10.4 mi) Country Switzerland Parent range Emmental Alps Prominence 585 m First ascender Joachim Vadian | |
Easiest route Pilatus railway (world's steepest cogwheel railway) Similar Rigi, Titlis, Jungfrau, Bürgenstock, Stanserhorn | ||
Pilatus (also often referred to Mount Pilatus) is a mountain massif overlooking Lucerne in Central Switzerland. It is composed of several peaks, of which the highest (2,128 m (6,982 ft)) is named Tomlishorn and is located about 1.3 km (0.81 mi) to the southeast of the top cable car and cog railway station. The two peaks right next to the stations are called Esel (Donkey, 2,118 m (6,949 ft)), which lies just east over the railway station, the one on the west side is called Oberhaupt (Head-Leader, 2,105 m (6,906 ft)). Jurisdiction over the massif is divided between the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), and Lucerne (LU). The main peaks are right on the border between Obwalden and Nidwalden.
Contents
- Map of Mount Pilatus 6010 Alpnach Switzerland
- Railway and summitsEdit
- Military installationsEdit
- DragonEdit
- In literatureEdit
- References
Map of Mount Pilatus, 6010 Alpnach, Switzerland
Railway and summitsEdit
The top can be reached with the Pilatus Railway, the world's steepest cogwheel railway, from Alpnachstad, operating from May to November (depending on snow conditions), and the whole year with the aerial panorama gondolas and aerial cableways from Kriens. Both peaks next to the top stations, Esel and Oberhaupt, can easily be reached also by mass tourism.
The highest peak however, Tomlishorn, and the other peaks, such as Widderfeld (2,128 m (6,982 ft)) even further west than the Tomlishorn on the border between LU and OW, Matthorn (2,040 m (6,690 ft)) to the south, the Klimsenhorn (1,906 m (6,253 ft)) to the north (UW), and Rosegg (1,974 m (6,476 ft)) and Windegg (1,673 m (5,489 ft)) to the east, both on the border of UW and OW, should only be approached with appropriate Alpine hiking equipement.
The whole mountain range streches at least from the Lopper just opposite from Stansstad to the east as far as at least to the Mittaggüpfi (1,917 m (6,289 ft)) and the Risetestock (1,759 m (5,771 ft)) to the west on the border between LU and OW.
During the summer, the "Golden Round Trip" — a popular route for tourists — involves taking a boat from Lucerne across Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad, going up on the cogwheel railway, coming down on the aerial cableways and panorama gondolas, and taking a bus back to Lucerne.
A few different local legends about the origin of the name exist. One claims that Pilatus was named so because Pontius Pilate was buried there; a similar legend is told of Monte Vettore in Italy. Another is that the mountain looks like the belly of a large man, Pilate, lying on his back and was thus named for him. The name may also be derived from "pileatus," meaning "cloud-topped."
Numbered amongst those who have reached its summit are Conrad Gessner, Theodore Roosevelt, Arthur Schopenhauer (1804), Queen Victoria and Julia Ward Howe (1867).
Military installationsEdit
The mountain has fortified radar (part of the Swiss FLORAKO system) and weather stations on the Oberhaupt summit, not open to the public view and used all year round.
DragonEdit
A medieval legend had dragons with healing powers living on the mountain. A chronicle from 1619 reads: 'as I was contemplating the serene sky by night, I saw a very bright dragon with flapping wings go from a cave in a great rock in the mount called Pilatus toward another cave, known as Flue, on the opposite side of the lake'. This legend was the inspiration for Steven Reineke's famous concert band piece, Pilatus: Mountain of Dragons.
In literatureEdit
"The Chalet School does it again" (1955) Elinor Brent-Dyer retells the Pilate burial place legend.
Mount Pilatus plays a pivotal role in the conclusion of Brad Thor's fiction novel "Lions of Lucerne".