270 
SCENERY OF SWITZERLAND. 
Meran to Botzen, or from the latter place by the 
gorge of the Kuntersweg, knows what treasures of 
colour the Alps can afford. 
Dolomite is a magnesian limestone. The aspect 
of Dolomite mountains has been most aptly com- 
pared to ruined masonry, and it is often difficult to 
believe that the summits of dolomite peaks and 
ridges are not crowned by crumbling towers, castles, 
and walls built by man. 
A square columnar formation is characteristic. 
The whole of the face shows transverse and vertical 
marking, the transverse lines running more or less 
continuously across the whole. “The jagged outlines 
of the crests form a principal feature for their re- 
cognition. The outline is usually ‘embattled,’ to 
borrow an expression from heraldry. The colours are 
marvellously beautiful — cream colour and grey pre- 
dominate, but not to the exclusion of others. In the 
glow of sunset they are almost unearthly.”* 
The Upper Jurassic gives valleys a very char- 
acteristic aspect. It assumes a steep slope of from 
40 0 to 60 °. If the inclination is not above 45 0 it 
becomes covered with vegetable soil and often clothed 
with fir; but the steeper slopes are bare and arid, 
and are known as Chables or ravi£res, giving an 
* See Dent, Mountaineering , Badminton Library. 
