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The pass runs northeast-southwest through the Valais Alps at an elevation of 2,469 m (8,101 ft). From the north ( Switzerland), the route to the pass follows the Dranse River valley above Martigny, then into the wild and desolate valley of the Dranse d'Entremont . The Great St Bernard Tunnel (and the main road) plunges through the mountains at the 1,915 m level, with a much smaller road winding over the pass itself, which is part of the Swiss border with Italy. On the south side of the pass, the Great St Bernard Valley is drained by the Artanavaz River , which runs down to Aosta.
Just below the pass is a small lake, and several buildings making up the hospice straddle the pass itself. The old road may still be seen, above the paved road. The minor peaks Mont Mort and Pic de Drona flank the pass. The elevation is such that snow may keep the pass closed until June, and indeed the motivation for the hospice was to aid travellers overcome by the difficulties of the crossing.
Likewise, the dogs from this area, known as St. Bernards, were bred to be large enough to handle deep snow and to scent out lost persons. It is often said that they carried small casks of brandyFor the singer and actress, see Brandy Norwood. Brandy (short for brandywine from Dutch brandewijn distilled wine) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40 60% ethyl alcohol by volume. It is also used to indicate spirits distilled from other fruit around their necks (although this might be only a legend), in the belief that the liquor had medicinal properties (in reality, the effect would have been more psychological than physiological, as alcohol even increases the rate of heat loss in persons suffering from hypothermiaHypothermia is a medical condition in which the victim's core body temperature has dropped to significantly below normal and normal metabolism begins to be impaired. This begins to occur when the core temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees).