Lugano Prealps

The Lugano Prealps (Prealpi Luganesi or Prealpi Lombarde Occidentali in Italian) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Canton Ticino (southern Switzerland) and Lombardy (northern Italy).

Lugano Prealps
Prealpi Lombarde Occidentali
Monte San Primo in winter from Pian del Tivano
Highest point
Peak	Pizzo di Gino
Elevation	2,245 m (7,365 ft)
Coordinates	46°06′03″N 9°12′20″E
Naming
Native name	Prealpi Luganesi (Italian)
Geography
Lugano Prealps (section no. 11) within the Western Alps
Countries	Switzerland and Italy
Canton, Region	Ticino and Lombardy
Parent range	Alps
Borders on	Bergamasque Alps and Prealps, Lepontine Alps, Western Rhaetian Alps and Po plain
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny
Rock type	Sedimentary rocks[1]

Geography

Administratively the Italian part of the range belongs to the provinces of Como and Varese, while the Swiss one is divided between the districts of Bellinzona, Locarno, Lugano and Mendrisio.

The western slopes of the mountains are drained by the Ticino, the eastern ones by Adda and the southern-central part of them by Lambro, Olona and other minor rivers and streams, all of them directly or indirectly tributaries of the Po.

SOIUSA classification

According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine section, classified in the following way:^[2]

• main part = Western Alps
• major sector = North Western Alps
• section = Lugano Prealps
• code = I/B-11

Borders

Lugano Prealps' borders are (clockwise):

• Lago Maggiore (west),
• Ticino from Locarno to Bellinzona, San Jorio Pass (2.010 m, which connects them with the Lepontine Alps) and San Jorio valley till to Gravedona (north);
• Como lake (east);
• Po Plain (south).

Subdivision

The Lugano Prealps are divided into two subsections:^[2]

• Como Prealps - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I
• Varese Prealps - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II,

which are separated by the Monte Ceneri Pass.

These subsections are further divided in supergroups:

• Como Prealps:
  • supergroup catena Gino-Camoghè-Fiorina - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-A
  • supergroup catena Tremezzo-Generoso-Gordona - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B
  • supergroup catena del Triangolo Lariano - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B
• Varese Prealps:
  • supergroup catena Tamaro-Gambarogno-Lema - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-A,
  • supergroup catena Piambello-Campo dei Fiori-Nudo - SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-B.

Summits

Pizzo di Gino

The chief summits of the range are:

Name	metres	feet
Pizzo di Gino	2,245	7,363
Camoghè	2,226	7,301
Gazzirola	2,116	6,940
Monte Bregagno	2,107	6,910
Monte Tamaro	1,967	6,451
Monte Gradiccioli	1,936	6,352
Monte Grona	1,736	5,694
Monte Generoso	1,704	5,589
Monte di Tremezzo	1,700	5,600
Monte San Primo	1,685	5,526
Monte Lema	1,621	5,316
Corni di Canzo	1,373	4,503
Sighignola	1,314	4,311
Monte Nudo	1,235	4,050
Monte Pian Nave	1,058	3,471
Monte Minisfreddo	1,047	3,435
Poncione di Ganna	993	3,258
Monte Chiusarella	913	2,995
Colle di Brianza	877	2,877
Monte Monarco	858	2,815