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This page tabulates only the most prominent mountains of the Alps, selected for having a topographic prominence of at least 300 metres (980 ft), all exceeding 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in height. Although the list contains 537 summits, some significant alpine mountains are necessarily excluded for failing to meet the stringent prominence criterion.

The list of these most prominent mountains is continued down to 2500 m elevation at List of prominent mountains of the Alps (2500–2999 m) and down to 2000 m elevation on List of prominent mountains of the Alps (2000–2499 m). All such mountains are located in France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany or Slovenia, even in some lower regions. Together, these lists include all 44 ultra-prominent peaks of the Alps, with 19 ultras over 3000m on this page.

For a definitive list of all 82 of the highest peaks of the Alps, as identified by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), and often referred to as the 'Alpine four-thousanders', see List of mountains of the Alps over 4000 metres.

Criteria

The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation defines a summit in the Alps as independent, if the connecting ridge between it and a higher summit drops at least 30 m (a prominence/drop of 30 m, with the lowest point referred to as the "key col"). Over 3300 such summits are exceeding 2500 m in Switzerland alone. For a peak to qualify as an independent mountain, traditionally a prominence of at least 300 m, or 10 times the aforementioned criterion value, has been used. Inclusion based on prominence is expedient for its objectivity and verifiability. It also allows the incorporation of the low elevation (but prominent) mountains and the highest mountains, maximizing territory coverage and ensuring a reasonably even distribution throughout the range. However, it has its drawbacks. For example, an impressive mountain peak dominating a valley may be connected via long high ridges to a barely higher hidden summit. Among the better-known peaks absent from this list are Aiguille du Dru (due to Aiguille Verte), Dent du Géant (Grandes Jorasses), Mont Blanc de Cheilon (Ruinette), Nadelhorn and Täschhorn (Dom), Wetterhorn (Mittelhorn), Piz d'Err (Piz Calderas), Piz Badile (Piz Cengalo), Piz Palü (Piz Zupo), Similaun (Hintere Schwarze), Crozzon di Brenta (Cima Tosa), and Cimon della Pala (Cima Vezzana).

Accuracy

All mountain heights and prominences on the list are from the largest-scale maps available. However, heights often conflict on different topographic maps, even when created by the same cartographic institution. For example, the Fletschhorn is indicated to be 3993, 3982, and 3984.5 m high on the 1:100,000, 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 Swisstopo map, respectively. This table uses the latter map's (rounded) elevation. Also, the deepest points in connecting ridges are not always survey points with spot elevations, where heights have to be estimated from contour lines. For example, maps often provide heights for where a route passes over a ridge rather than for the lowest point of that pass.

Finally, many height indications on these maps are from quite old measurements, while glacier and firn melt has decreased the height of both peaks and key cols, sometimes quite dramatically. For example, in 1930, glacier-capped Cima Tosa was the highest mountain of the Brenta Dolomites at 3,173 m, but now is around 3,140 m high and some 10 m lower than its rocky neighbor Cima Brenta (3,151 m). Most maps and guides still report Cima Tosa's old height. On the other hand, in the 1930s, when the current Italian 1:25.000 topographic map of the region was created, the Passo del Vannino, northwest of the Ofenhorn, was covered by the Lebendun glacier and was measured to be 2,754 m, while the much more recent Swisstopo map shows it to be bare and 2,717 m high. This is the key col for Corno di Ban (3,028 m), which, thanks to the retreat of the glacier, now appears on the list with a prominence of 311 m.

Given the inaccuracies, the list includes (unranked) summits with estimated prominences down to 7 meter below the cut-off (293 m), many of which may very well have a real prominence exceeding 300 m.

Distribution

The lists contain 1599 mountains higher than 2000 m. The summits are distributed over 7 countries as follows:

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175 of the summits are on international borders. A number of mountains (e.g. Rocciamelone (IT), Aiguille de Tré la Tête (IT), Monte Rosa (CH), Piz Bernina (CH), and Hochgall (IT)) straddle borders as well, but have their summit on one side. In the list, only the exact location of the culminating point of the mountain is considered.

The 1092 mountains over 2500 m are found in 44 different administrative regions (cantons, departments, provinces, states). The administrative regions with the most mountains over 2500 m are Tyrol (161), Graubünden (148), Valais (103), South Tyrol (91), Sondrio (73), Aosta Valley (69), Savoy (67), Hautes-Alpes (66), Salzburg (57), Belluno (56) and Trentino (50).

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The table below shows the distribution of mountains by height and prominence. Totals do not include the 54 unranked summits with 293–299 m prominence. Cima Brenta is treated as having a prominence of 1500m for consistency with lists of ultras.

Alpine mountains over 3000 m high with 300 m prominence

The table is continued here.

Notes

1. The number 1599 includes the 54 unranked summits with 293–299 m prominence, but excludes the 6 summits between 1996–1999 m high
2. Summits with a prominence below 300 m are not ranked.
3. Numbers in italics are estimates because a precise height for the key col is lacking.
4. For the Eastern Alps the range names are according to the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps.
5. SOIUSA codes, representing a proposal for a new classification system of the Alps. The codes usually but not always correspond to established ranges. Sorting on this tab puts the mountains in a geographic order, roughly from the southwest to the east.
6. State in Austria and Germany, department in France, province in Italy, and canton in Switzerland.
7. The key col Hochjoch is 2770 m in the literature and per local indications, but appears at least 20 m higher on the maps.
8. East summit. West summit is 3,541m. On some maps neighboring Ouile d'Arbéron [fr] is higher.
9. Included since apparent parent Croix Rousse is labeled lower on some maps.
10. Pic de l'Étendard, also "Costa Blanc", "Grand Rousses Nord" and "Pointe des Grands Glacier" is included despite its low drop, as it is only perhaps less than 1 m lower than the 2 km removed Piz Bayle
11. ^ Bliggspitze and Ölgrubenspitze are separated by 1.7 km and the ca 230 m deep Bliggscharte. It is unclear which is the higher peak. The first summit is 3453 m in most sources, while Ölgrubenspitze is 3452 m on the Austrian BEV map but 3456 m in other sources.
12. Neighboring Küchlspitze, climbed in 1877 and separated by a 140 m deep pass, is virtually the same height (3147 m).
13. ^ The lowest col between equally high Gletscherhorn and Piz Gallagiun is the 383 m deep Passo de la Prasgnola. They share the 2694 m key col Pass da la Duana.
14. Punta di Scais is a twin peak with Pizzo Redorta, 700 m to the south and separated by the 133 m deep "Passo Scais". They are sometimes given the same height (3038 m). Elsewhere Punta di Scais is 1 or 2 meters higher.
15. ^ Equally high Sas Rigais and Furcheta are only 600 m apart but joined by the 329 m deep Salieresscharte.
16. Acherkogel has a drop of only 279 m before rising to the 3010 m Hochreichkopf 2.5 km to its south, but in some sources both mountains are 3008 m high.

References

1. Christian Thöni, Directory of the mountains of Switzerland
2. ^ All mountain heights and prominences are from the following maps:
   For France the 1:25,000 cartes topographiques of the Institut Géographique National
   For Switzerland the 1:25,000 Swisstopo maps.
   For Austria BEV's Österreichische Karte 1:50.000 supplemented with the 1:25,000 Alpine Club maps where available.
   For the Aosta Valley in Italy, the 1:10,000 CTR edizione 2005
   Elsewhere in Italy the 1:25,000 Istituto Geografico Militare maps via the Geoportale Nazionale website.
   Key cols were verified using the SRTM data based contour lines in the terrain view of Google Maps.
3. ^ Petter E. Bjørstad, Cima Tosa is lower than Cima Brenta
4. Verified and fine-tuned via google terrain and satellite maps.
5. The three main sources for first ascent data are:
   For France and in general; W.A.B. Coolidge, The Alps in nature and history, Methuen & Co, London, 1908.
   For Switzerland; Gottlieb Studer, Über Eis und Schnee: Die höchsten Gipfel der Schweiz und die Geschichte ihrer Besteigung, Volumes 1-3, Schmid & Francke, Bern, 1896-1899.
   For the Eastern Alps: Die Erschließung der Ostalpen, Volumes 1-3, German and Austrian Alpine Club, Berlin, 1894.
   Given are the years for the first recorded ascents. In many cases local people or surveyors made earlier ascents. In particular, chamois and ibex hunters are expected to have reached many summits. Years in italics indicate that it is known that an earlier ascent was made, for example by the presence of artifacts on top or the summit's prior use as a triangulation point.
6. visitmonterosa.com - Tête grise

Sources

• Jonathan de Ferranti & Eberhard Jurgalski's map-checked ALPS TO R589m and rough, computer-generated EUROPE TO R150m lists
• Christian Thöni's list of 8875 summits in Switzerland
• Clem Clements' Austria above 2500 m lists
• Mark Trengrove and Clem Clements' list of German alps above 2000 m,
• Mark Trengrove's lists of several regions of the French Alps, and of the Grand paradiso and Rutor ranges of the Italian Alps