Signalkuppe

The Signalkuppe (4,554 m), also known as Punta Gnifetti (in Italian), is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the Italian-Swiss border. It is a Monte Rosa subpeak. The mountain is called after 'the Signal,' a notable gendarme named Cresta Signal who sat atop the east ridge.

On the 9th of August 1842, Giovanni Gnifetti, a parish priest from Alagna Valsesia, performed the first climb alongside J. Farinetti, C. Ferraris, C. Grober, J. and G. Giordiano, and their porters. On the summit of the mountain, the Margherita Hut (named for Italy's Queen consort Margherita of Savoy) is Europe's highest hut. The construction began in 1890 with the help of the Italian crown, and Queen Margherita inaugurated it in 1893. The new hut is covered with sheet copper to defend against unwanted electrical fields, thereby making it a high-altitude Faraday cage.

The peak of Signalkuppe can be reached via a variety of ways. The standard route begins in either the Gnifetti or Mantova Huts on the Italian side of the mountain. The trail follows the Lys glacier up to the Lys Col and then along the mountain's western flank to the summit. The standard route is technically straightforward and entirely on glaciated terrain. Overall, the grade is PD. The path from the Swiss side of the mountain, commencing at the Monte Rosa Hut, is an alternative to the conventional approach from the Italian side. After the Lys col, this route joins the Italian normal route, which is likewise classed PD. A classic route on the mountain is the Cresta Signal (East ridge), 800 meters high and graded D (Difficile). Other routes are the SW-ridge (D+), the SE-wall (700 m,D+) and the NE-wall left spur (2500 m(!), ED)

Elevation: 4,554 m
Location: Valais, Switzerland
Parent peak: Dufourspitze of Monte Rosa