There are those who attribute the name of this peak to more or less anomalous atmospheric events. There are many rose-tinted versions that "paint" the snow at sunrise and sunset and there are those who sustain that a strong gust of desert wind covered the snow with a veil of sand giving the massif its colour. More simply, one certain explanation is given in a way that often occurs in language. "Rouese" is the true origin of the name Monte Rosa. This terms means glacier in "Patois", an ancient language spoken by the people of the surrounding areas.

Monte Rosa is part of the Alps mountain range Pennines which it undisputedly masters from the height of its 4,634 metres, reached from Punta Dufour. In the entire alpine arch, Monte Rosa is exceeded in height only by the 4,808 metres of the Monte Bianco. In addition to being the highest of the Pennine Alps, this massif holds other Guinness world records, records that we sincerely believe will be hard to break. Monte Rosa's east slope is in fact the highest in the Alps. This is due to its vertical rock face and to its height. La Silbersattel (Silver Saddle) is the hill that, with its 4,517 metres, separates Punta Dufour from Punta Nordend: it is the highest in the Alps. Even in respect of it "mass" it has no rivals. In fact Monte Rosa is considered (it is more than 4,000 metres high) the largest mountain by virtue of its huge mass.

Monte Rosa is now host to an important inter-valley ski complex that encloses the Gressoney, Champoluc and Alagna Valsesia valley to Piemonte.