| Titlis | |
|---|---|
 Titlis and Klein Titlis (right) from the northwest | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,238 m (10,623 ft) |
| Prominence | 978 m (3,209 ft)[1] |
| Parent peak | Dammastock |
| Isolation | 6.9 km (4.3 mi)[2] |
| Listing | Canton high point, Alpine mountains above 3000 m |
| Coordinates | 46°46′21″N8°26′14″E / 46.77250°N 8.43722°E /46.77250; 8.43722 |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | German |
| Geography | |
  Titlis Location in Switzerland | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Cantons | Obwalden andBern |
| Parent range | Uri Alps |
| Topo map | Swiss Federal Office of Topographyswisstopo |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Limestone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1739 |
| Easiest route | By cable car fromEngelberg |
Titlis is a mountain of theUri Alps, located on the border between the cantons ofObwalden andBern. At 3,238 metres (10,623 ft) above sea level, it is the highest summit of the range north of theSusten Pass, between theBernese Oberland andCentral Switzerland. It is mainly accessed fromEngelberg (OW) on the north side and is famous as the site of the world's first rotatingcable car. The cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m (3,268 ft)) to the summit ofKlein Titlis (3,028 m (9,934 ft)) through the three stages ofGerschnialp (1,262 m (4,140 ft)),Trübsee (1,796 m (5,892 ft)) andStand (2,428 m (7,966 ft)). In 2016, a direct route was created that bypassed Geraschnialp, going directly to Trübsee.
The last part of cable car leads above theglacier. AtKlein Titlis, it is possible to visit an illuminatedglacier cave from an entrance within the cable-car station, which also includes shops and restaurants. TheTitlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevationsuspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. Many people use Titlis as a cheaper and easier option thanJungfraujoch.
Titlis straddles the border betweenObwalden andBern. The main summit of Titlis (sometimes distinguished by the nameGross Titlis) and Klein Titlis are both located between the municipalities ofEngelberg on the north andGadmen on the south. The Titlis massif is also partially located inNidwalden, where the highest point of that canton is found: theRotstöckli (2,901 m). Titlis itself is the highest point in Obwalden and in the valley of Engelberg. East of Titlis is theGrassen, where the borders between the cantons of Obwalden, Berne andUri converge. Thegeographical center of Switzerland is situated about 15 kilometers west of the mountain.
Titlis is the highest mountain in the portion of the Uri Alps north of theSusten Pass. This part of the range is located between the valleys of theHasli (west) and theReuss (east), thus separating the waters feeding the basins of theAare and Reuss respectively. On the north side, the valley of Engelberg (Engelbergertal) is drained by theEngelberger Aa, a tributary of theLake Lucerne. The valley is located southwards from Lake Lucerne.
The northern side of the massif is covered by the Titlis Glacier (German:Titlisgletscher). Due to theglobal warming the glacier has been receded dramatically; it is expected to disappear in about twenty years. The south steep and rocky face rises above theWenden Glacier. The east side overlooks a glacier namedFirnalpeligletscher.
In earlier times, Titlis was known under the namesWendenstock orNollen. TheReissend Nollen and theWendenstöcke are the nearest western neighbours to the mountain, slightly lower than Titlis, but with sharp rugged peaks.[3] In a document of 1435 the mountain is calledTuttelsberg (Tutilos mountain), referencing to a man namedTutilos, who was probably a local farmer. The name, fromTutilos Berg, becameTitlisberg and laterTitlis.[4]
The first ascent of Titlis was probably made in the year 1739. It was done by Ignaz Hess, J. E. Waser and two other men from Engelberg.[5] The first written evidence of an ascent is found in theEngelberger Dokumente. They mention a party of four men that reached the summit in 1744.[3][dead link]
On 21 January 1904 the first ski ascent of Titlis was made by Joseph Kuster and Willi Amrhein.[6]
In March 1967 the cable car to Klein Titlis (3,032 m) was inaugurated.
In December 2012, theTitlis Cliff Walk opened to commemorate the 110th anniversary of theEngelberg-Gerschnialp cableway.
Klein Titlis hosts a significant telecommunications site, used for high capacity point-to-pointmicrowave radio links and VHF/UHF repeaters. Licensed band radio links are regulated by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications.[7]
The summit of Titlis is located above thesnow line, thus it has a cold, snowy climate with permanent snow cover and freezing temperatures.
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