Vermessungspunkt Rigi - Switzerland
Posted by: 
fi67
N 47° 03.401 E 008° 29.117
32T E 460909 N 5211591
A first level triangulation point at the summit of Mount Rigi.
Waymark Code: WMCJJ0
Location: Schwyz, Switzerland
Date Posted: 09/13/2011
Views: 17
This is one of about 70 Swiss trigpoints of the first level. It is located at the summit of Mount Rigi north of Lake Lucerne. The mountain is a very popular tourist destination. It is a mainly freestanding mountain with free view over hundreds of kilometers in every direction under good weather conditions. This makes it an optimal location for a triangulation point.
This point has been used for local triangulation since 1791. In 1832 it became the main point of the first federal triangulation system and stayed part of it in the revisions of 1868 and 1903. The granite stone that is the main point was replaced in 1875 and has not changed since then. The first pyramidal cover was added in 1910.
I noticed something odd; the plaque has very accurate coordinates to the fourth decimal place of the second. But these coordinates are about 170 meters away from what my GPSr showed. I checked with Google Earth and it looks like my GPSr was right. I later found out the official Swiss geodesic datum is CH03 and not WGS84, this explains the difference; both are right in their respective measurement.
Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the waymark with your GPS, or (a part of) you in it, is required.
2. An area photo including the waymark in the view is highly appreciated.
Logs not meeting the requirements are considered arm chair visits and are therefor subject for deletion.