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French Alps

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
French Alps
Aerial photograph of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe
Highest point
PeakMont Blanc
Elevation4,807.45 m (15,772.5 ft)
Coordinates45°50′01″N 06°51′54″E / 45.83361°N 6.86500°E / 45.83361; 6.86500
Naming
Native nameFrench: Alpes françaises
Geography
Ranges of the French Alps.
French regions
Borders onSwiss Alps, Italian Alps
Geology
OrogenyAlpine orogeny
Rock ageTertiary
Rock types
  • Bündner schist
  • flysch
  • molasse

The French Alps[1] are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the Mont Blanc massif, are shared with Switzerland and Italy.

At 4,808 metres (15,774 ft), Mont Blanc, on the France–Italy border, is the highest mountain in the Alps, and the highest Western European mountain.[2]

Notable towns in the French Alps include Grenoble, Chamonix, Annecy, Chambéry, Évian-les-Bains and Albertville.

The French Alps will host the 2030 Winter Olympics, marking the fourth occasion when the Winter Olympics were held in the region. The games were previously held in Albertville in 1992, Grenoble in 1968, and the very first in Chamonix in 1924.

Ranges and summits

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Chain Range Highest summit Elevation (m/ft)
Graian AlpsMont Blanc MassifMont Blanc4,807.45 metres (15,772 ft)
Beaufortain MassifRoignais2,995 metres (9,826 ft)
Lauzière MassifGrand Pic de la Lauzière2,829 metres (9,281 ft)
Vanoise MassifGrande Casse3,855 metres (12,648 ft)
Graian Alps central groupPointe de Charbonnel3,752 metres (12,310 ft)
Dauphiné AlpsBelledonne MassifGrand Pic de Belledonne2,977 metres (9,767 ft)
Grandes RoussesPic Bayle3,465 metres (11,368 ft)
Arves MassifAiguilles d'Arves3,514 metres (11,529 ft)
Taillefer MassifLe Taillefer2,857 metres (9,373 ft)
Écrins MassifBarre des Écrins4,102 metres (13,458 ft)
Cottian AlpsMassif du Mont-CenisPointe de Ronce3,612 metres (11,850 ft)
Cerces MassifGrand Galibier3,229 metres (10,594 ft)
Queyras MassifRochebrune Peak3,320 metres (10,892 ft)
Ubaye Massif (Orrenaye)Aiguille de Chambeyron3,411 metres (11,191 ft)
Maritime AlpsMercantour-Argentera MassifCime du Gélas3,143 metres (10,312 ft)
Pelat MassifMont Pelat3,050 metres (10,007 ft)
Massif des Trois-ÉvêchésTête de l'Estrop2,961 metres (9,715 ft)
Ligurian AlpsLigurian AlpsPunta Marguareis2,651 metres (8,698 ft)
Savoy PrealpsChablais AlpsHauts-Forts2,464 metres (8,084 ft)
Haut-Giffre MassifHaute Cime3,257 metres (10,686 ft)
Aiguilles RougesAiguille du Belvédère2,965 metres (9,728 ft)
BornesPointe Blanche2,438 metres (7,999 ft)
Aravis RangePointe Percée2,750 metres (9,022 ft)
BaugesArcalod2,217 metres (7,274 ft)
Chartreuse MountainsChamechaude2,082 metres (6,831 ft)
Dauphiné PrealpsVercors MassifGrand Veymont2,341 metres (7,680 ft)
Diois MountainsMont Jocou2,051 metres (6,729 ft)
Dévoluy MountainsGrande Tête de l'Obiou2,789 metres (9,150 ft)
Provence PrealpsBochaineMont Céüse2,016 metres (6,614 ft)
Digne PrealpsLes Monges2,115 metres (6,939 ft)
BaronniesMont Mare1,603 metres (5,259 ft)
Vaucluse MountainsSignal de Saint-Pierre1,256 metres (4,121 ft)
Luberon MountainsMourre Nègre1,125 metres (3,691 ft)
Maritime PrealpsCastellan PrealpsPuy de Rent1,996 metres (6,549 ft)
Nice PrealpsPointe des Trois Communes2,080 metres (6,824 ft)
Panorama of Chamonix Valley

Ski areas

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NASA photograph of the French Alps (26 October 2002).

The largest connected ski areas are:

  1. Les Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Orelle): 338 slopes, 600 km of pistes.
  2. Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Châtel, Morzine, Les Gets, Saint-Jean d'Aulps, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Abondance, Montriond, Swiss resorts): 288 slopes, 650 km of slopes not entirely connected.
  3. Paradiski (La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry, Les Arcs), Champagny-en-Vanoise: 239 slopes, 420 km of slopes.
  4. Via Lattea (Montgenèvre, Italian resorts): 214 slopes, 400 km of slopes.
  5. Évasion Mont-Blanc (Combloux, Megève, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, Les Contamines Monjoie): 183 slopes, 420 km of slopes not entirely connected.
  6. Espace Killy (Tignes, Val-d'Isère): 137 slopes, 300 km of slopes.
  7. Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns, Sixt): 134 slopes, 265 km of slopes.
  8. Les Aravis (La Clusaz, Manigod, La Croix Fry, Merdassier, Le Grand-Bornand): 133 slopes, 220 km of slopes not entirely connected.
  9. Les Grandes Rousses (L'Alpe d'Huez, Vaujany, Auris-en-Oisans, Oz-en-Oisans, Villard-Reculas): 117 slopes, 236 km of slopes.
  10. Serre Chevalier: 111 slopes, 250 km of slopes.
  11. La Forêt Blanche (Risoul, Vars): 104 slopes, 180 km of slopes.
  12. Les Sybelles (Le Corbier, La Toussuire, Les Bottières, Saint-Jean-d'Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, Saint-Colomban-des-Villards): 96 slopes, 310 km of slopes.
  13. Valloire and Valmeinier: 83 slopes, 150 km of slopes.
  14. Grand Domaine (Valmorel, Saint-François-Longchamp): 82 slopes, 150 km of slopes
  15. Espace San Bernardo (La Rosière, La Thuile - Italy): 73 slopes, 150 km of slopes.
  16. Les Deux Alpes and La Grave: 69 slopes, 220 km of slopes. (+ Freeride Zone)

The other large ski areas are:

Activities

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A range of winter and summer activities are available in the French Alps. In the winter, these include skiing and snowboarding; alternative activities include snowshoeing and sledging. There is a range of other activities that happen such as gliding, which is more popular during the summer months.[3] Summer activities include hiking, mountaineering, biking and rock climbing.[4]

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ (French: Alpes françaises; Arpitan: Ârpes francêses; Occitan: Aups francesas; Ligurian: Arpi françéixi)
  2. ↑ "Mont Blanc shrinks by 45cm in two years". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-11-05. Archived from the original on 2023-02-14.
  3. ↑ "frenchalps.co.uk - Your website dedicated to information on the French Alps". frenchalps.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  4. ↑ "French Alps Mountain Activities | frenchalps.co.uk". frenchalps.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-01-27.

Bibliography

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