Editing Main chain of the Alps (section)

=== Western Alps ===
Starting from the [[Bocchetta di Altare]] or di [[Colle di Cadibona]] (west of [[Savona]]), the main chain extends first south-west, then north-west to the [[Col de Tenda]], though nowhere rising much beyond the zone of coniferous trees. Beyond the [[Col de Tenda]] the direction is first roughly west, then north-west to the [[Rocca dei Tre Vescovi]] (2,840 m), just south of the [[Enciastraia]] (2,955 m), several peaks of about 3,000 metres rising on the [[drainage basin|watershed]], though the highest of all, the [[Punta dell'Argentera]] (3,297 m) stands a little way to its north. From the Rocher des Trois Eveques the drainage divide runs due north for a long distance, though of the two loftiest peaks of this region one, the [[Aiguille de Chambeyron]] (3,412 m), is just to the west, and the other, the [[Monviso]] (3,841&nbsp;m), is just to the east of the divide. From the head of the [[Val Pellice]] the main chain runs north-west and diminishes much in average height until it reaches the [[Mont Thabor]] (3,178 m), which forms the apex of a salient angle which the main chain here presents towards the west. From here the divide extends eastwards, culminating in the [[Aiguille de Scolette]] (3,505 m), but makes a great curve to the north-west and back to the south-east before rising in the [[Rocciamelone]] (3,509 m). From there the direction taken is north as far as the eastern summit (3,619 m) of the [[Levanna]], the divide rising in a series of snowy peaks, though the loftiest point of the region, the [[Pointe de Charbonnel]] (3,760 m), stands a little to the west. Once more the chain bends to the north-west, rising in several lofty peaks (the highest is the [[Aiguille de la Grande Sassière]], 3,751 m), before attaining the considerable depression of the [[Little St Bernard Pass]].

[[File:Witenwasserenstock Tripoint.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Witenwasserenstock]] with the tripoint between the Rhone, Rhine, and Po basins (center left)]]

The divide then briefly turns north to the [[Col de la Soigne]], and then north-east along the crest of the Mont Blanc chain, which culminates in the peak of [[Mont Blanc]] (4,810 m),<ref name="smc4810.45" /> the highest in the Alps. A number of high peaks line the divide, notably the [[Grandes Jorasses]] (4,208 m) before it reaches [[Mont Dolent]] (3,823 m), where France, Italy and Switzerland meet. From there, after a short dip to the south-east, the chain takes, near the [[Great St. Bernard Pass]], a generally eastern direction that it maintains until it reaches [[Monte Rosa]], where it bends northwards, making one small dip to the east to the [[Simplon Pass]]. It is in the portion of the watershed between the Grande St Bernard Pass and the Simplon that the main chain maintains a greater average height than in any other part. But, though it rises in a number of lofty peaks, such as the [[Mont Vélan]] (3,727 m), the [[Matterhorn]] (4,478 m), the [[Lyskamm]] (4,533 m), the Nord End of [[Monte Rosa]] (4,575 m), and the [[Weissmies]] (4,023 m), many of the highest points of the region, such as the [[Grand Combin]] (4,314 m), the [[Dent Blanche]] (4,357 m), the [[Weisshorn]] (4,505 m), the true summit or [[Dufourspitze]] (4,634 m) of Monte Rosa itself, and the [[Dom (mountain)|Dom]] (4,545 m), all rise on its northern slope and not on the main chain. On the other hand, the chain between the Grande St Bernard and the Simplon sinks at barely half a dozen points below a level of 3,000 metres.

The [[Simplon Pass]] (1.994 m) corresponds to a change in the main chain: the peaks and passes are lower, but as far as the Splugenpass, all the highest summits rise on the divide. From there to the [[Gotthard pass|St. Gotthard pass]] (2,106 m) the divide runs north-east,  crossing [[Monte Leone]] (3,533 m), and [[Pizzo Rotondo]] (3,192 m). Near the [[Witenwasserenstock]] is the point where the basin of the Po, the Rhine and the Rhone meet, and the European Watershed joins the Alpine divide. From the St. Gotthard to the [[Maloja Pass|Maloja]] the watershed between the basins of the [[Rhine]] and [[Po River|Po]] runs in a generally easterly direction. It goes over [[Passo del Lucomagno]] (1,915 m), across [[Scopi]] (3,200 m), [[Piz Medel]] (3,210 m) and [[Piz Terri]] (3,149 m), where it turns towards the south to the [[Rheinwaldhorn]] (3,402&nbsp;m). Here the divide veers back east over the [[Vogelberg]] (3,220 m) to the San Bernardino Pass (2,067 m), then over the [[Tambohorn|Pizzo Tambo]] (3,279 m), the [[Splugenpass]] (2,114 m) and [[Piz Timun]] (3,209 m). From here the divide heads south again to [[Pizzo Stella]] (3,163 m) and then east over [[Pizz Gallagiun]] (3,107 m), to where, near the [[Lunghin pass]], it reaches the main triple divide of the Alps: where water can flow to the Atlantic, the Mediterranean or the Black Sea. The main [[European watershed]] leaves the Alpine divide here, heading north, while the divide continues east to the [[Maloja Pass]] (1,815 m).