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Can you see the Matterhorn at all from Bellinzona Switzerland?

Can you see the Matterhorn at all from Bellinzona Switzerland?

Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 08:48 AM
  #21  
 
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I do not see any rudeness in this thread. The original question was bizarre, it simply got bizarre replies - and not rude at all.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 09:16 AM
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Again, the things folks do have consequences.

For "x" insert "stupid," "lazy," "w/o common sense," "ignorant," etc.>

so you calling the OP these words is not rude?

Well my definition of rudeness is different form yours. We do not have to call an OP "stupid", "lazy" "ignorant:, etc - to me those are downright rude - sorry you do not see it as such. I really did not expect this from the likes of you.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 09:25 AM
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PalQ, now I think you are being deliberately argumentative.

I did NOT call the OP those words. I was talking in general terms, when a poster says "x." Not this poster, any poster. Any post. And any "x." Then, for whichever situation applies, one could insert "stupid" if you felt that poster was lazy, or another time insert "ignorant" if you thought another poster was ignorant.

So, if some poster sometime somewhere said something "stupid," that poster should not be surprised if folks respond and say, "that's stupid."

s
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 09:31 AM
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So, if some poster sometime somewhere said something "stupid," that poster should not be surprised if folks respond and say, "that's stupid>

If the poster knew it was a stupid question then yes - but a sincere question should not be meant by "stupid", etc - we have different senses of what rudeness is.

When you said: <Well . . . I personally don't think it's a good idea to reward ignorance/laziness.>

I found it a rude comment - sorry you do not. You are assuming the OP is ignorant and lazy - well that could apply to many questions folks ask here - practically any question actuallty - you answer should always be "do your own research - don't be lazy - we will not answer because we do not want to reward laziness.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 09:29 PM
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No, PalenQ, as I said above -- I think folks should be able to answer basic questions themselves. Basic questions. Just as my students should not have to ask questions about things when I've already given the information.

Of course, we're all human. I myself have asked stupid questions (is there a Monoprix near "xx" address. . .?) and realized with the answers that it was easy to find that information on google or google maps. I was really grateful for the kindness offered . . . but would NOT have been offended or hurt if someone had (rightly) said -- "Hey, stupid, google it!!"

Sometimes we need to be reminded or encouraged to use our own brainpower -- that's immensely more useful than just supplying an answer that could well be obe as the trip planning unfolds.

s
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 10:07 PM
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I think there is a different point. As somebody (maybe Malcom Gladwell?) said, if someone says 2+2 is 5, well, that is a mistake - if someone says 2+2 is 748 you should try to understand a wholly different logic.

Matterhorn and Bellinzona are almost unrelated subjects. Just try googling them together and this very thread will come out as your main source of wisdom. Also, if there is any chance to see the Matterhorn from Bellinzona, you could be sure guides would write about it and you would not be the first asking the question. You should even wonder why somebody is taking the pain to go all the way to Zermatt, the most expensive place in Switzerland, if Matterhorn can be seen from such a wide range.

Now, the original poster wrote she is switching trains in Bellinzona - this means she is going to/coming from Lake Maggiore area - no other reason to switch trains there - and she is not completely clueless as Bellinzona is a fairly specific stop and not a particularly touristy area. One wonders where such a question is coming from. Really, I was first thinking to a clever troll. It looked a more likely explanation than plain naivety.
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 02:39 AM
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The whole alpine chain from Gran Paradiso/Mont Blanc up to Molnte Rosa (Matterhorn included) can be seen by fine weather from the following viewpoints more or less close to Bellinzona:
Cimetta: train to Locarno plus cablecar, gondola and chair lift
Monte Lema: train to Magliaso, bus to Miglieglia, chair lift
Monte Generoso: railway line closed
Sasso del Ferro: train to Laveno, cableway
Mottarone: train to Laveno, ferry to Intra, boat to Stresa, gondola.
But be aware that seen from these places, Matterhorn is a very small peak, best seen by binoculars. I suppose you know that Matterhorn seen from the South has a completely different shape than the Northern face seen from Zermatt.
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 05:52 AM
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swandav2000 I refuse to argue with you, as I see it is something you enjoy. But so you understand why I asked this forum the question in the first place I will explain. We had wanted to take a train to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn but our itinerary just wont allow for it. When finding out that we had a train stop in Bellinzona I decided to look up pictures to see if it would be a worth while stop to lay over a little longer before heading on to Locarno. As I viewed the photos on the website I noticed a mountain peak in the distance on some of them and wondered if possibly it could be the Matterhorn. A forum is for asking questions, so the obvious thing for me to do was ask the question. Our journey is 3 weeks long and has entailed ALOT of planning that I am doing without a travel agent. To look up every little detail on my own is something I don't have the time for, therefore I thought a forum would be nice for that. I'm not as lazy and dumb as you like to think, I just have too many details I am already dealing with, accommodations, trains, planes and automobiles, site seeing reservations, etc. etc.


People like you are just
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 05:54 AM
  #29  
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.....
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 08:36 AM
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While we are at it, this is the sight, on a very clear day, from Monte Generoso, a little south of Lugano, 1700 meters high on sea level and so about 1400 meters (that is 4600 feet) higher than either Lugano or Bellinzona. The huge mountain marked 1 is Monte Rosa, the tiny peak marked 2, barely visible, is the Matterhorn. Monte Generoso is at present not accessible as there are works to the top house and the rack railway does not run. Bellinzona would be on the right, well out of the photo, at the foot of some of the green ridges.

http://www.naturamediterraneo.com/Pu...8%20829bbc.jpg
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 08:44 AM
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So it is plausible to see the Matterhorn from the Lugano area - I guess it was not such a stupid question after all!
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 08:46 AM
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And this photo is even more explicative. Still looking from Monte Generoso. The city on the lake shore on the right is Lugano, the town by the mid-lake dam is Melide. Bellinzona would be on the right, past a ridge and at the same elevation of Lugano. You can still see the Monte Rosa on left top of the photo. Matterhorn is just at the right of Monte Rosa, but the photo is not clear enough and you can barely guess it is there. This explains very clearly why you cannot see the Matterhorn from Lugano. Bellinzona is in a more narrow valley than Lugano.

http://www.amici-del-leader.it/Home/...roso%2011g.JPG
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 09:21 AM
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But it seems that if one can seen Monte Rosa it is plausible that one could see the Matterhorn - not such a stupid question after all!
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 09:38 AM
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Well, you can see with your own eyes: Monte Rosa is much larger and massive than Matterhorn. By the way, why is everybody concerned with Matterhorn and nobody knows about Monte Rosa?
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 10:00 AM
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Toblerone?

If it is of any relevance.. I live on the Northern side of the Alps and had no clue if or if not one was able to see the Matterhorn from Bellinzona.
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 01:17 PM
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If Sarah Palin can see Russia from her Alaska home... well now we are talking about a stupid person...
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Old Apr 24th, 2014, 01:47 PM
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As someone who has spent hours trying to figure out how far past Namche Bazaar I would have to climb to be able to see Mount Everest, I thought it was an interesting question. And now I know I would have to be 4600 feet tall to see the Matterhorn from Bellinzona.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 06:34 AM
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Can I see the Matterhorn from Zermatt? Often no as it is not unusually shrouded in clouds or fog or mist, etc.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 07:34 AM
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Alps need time. Even in summer, only two or three days in a week have acceptable weather, only few days in a month have really good weather - the kind of weather that makes hiking a pleasure, you can really see the landscape, shoot photos, etc.

I can see in almost all the Swiss threads here crazy plans like on Monday morning we will climb there, in the afternoon we will visit another place, and on the way home we will stop there. And so on day by day. You can do it if you are lucky and find a week of good weather - they happen, not all weeks of course, sometimes you do not get a good week in the whole summer. If you find intermediate weather (and most days in the Alps begin on the sunny side and it is raining before night) half of the plans are unfeasible. And if somebody is crazy enough to take a mountain hike on a bad day because so the plan was - well, this is positively dangerous and accidents happen for this very reason.

As I wrote in another thread, if you try to cram all possible sights in a short time, city sightseeing is for you. If it rains you can always go shopping. Over the Alps, if it rains you can just drink coffee and play cards.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 08:55 PM
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Ri-co-laaaah!!!
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