Pennine Alps

Pennine Alps, mountain range in the Swiss canton of Valais, forming the boundary between Switzerland and Italy, part of the Alps, one of the large mountain systems of Europe. The Pennine Alps contain the highest peaks in all of Switzerland. From the broad Rhône Valley, many side branches lead to the glaciated mountain range, which contains such summits as Dufourspitze, which at 4,634 m (15,203 ft) is the highest mountain of Switzerland; the Matterhorn, 4,478 m (14,692 ft); the Dom, 4,545 m (14,911 ft); the Dent Blanche, 4,357 m (14,295 ft); and the Grand Combin, 4,314 m (14,154 ft). The Simplon Pass to the east and the Great Saint Bernard Pass to the west set the limits of the Pennine Alps.