Dauphiné Alps

Dauphiné Alps
Alpes du Dauphiné
La Meije seen from the Emparis plateau.
Highest point
Peak	Barre des Écrins
Elevation
Coordinates
Geography
Dauphiné Alps (section nr.5) within Western Alps Dauphiné Alps (section nr.5) within Western Alps
Country	France
Région	Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Parent range	Alps
Borders on	List Cottian Alps Graian Alps Savoy Prealps Dauphiné Prealps Provence Alps and Prealps
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny

The Dauphiné Alps (French: Alpes du Dauphiné) are a group of mountain ranges in southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. Mountain ranges within the Dauphiné Alps include the Massif des Écrins (in the Parc national des Écrins), Belledonne, the Taillefer range and the mountains of Matheysine.

Etymology

The Dauphiné (pronounced: [dofine]) is a former French province whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes.

Geography

They are separated from the Cottian Alps in the east by the Col du Galibier and the upper Durance valley; from the western Graian Alps (Vanoise Massif) in the north-east by the river Arc; from the lower ranges Vercors Plateau and Chartreuse Mountains in the west by the rivers Drac and Isère. Many peaks rise to more than 10,000 feet (3,050 m), with Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) the highest.

Administratively the French part of the range belongs to the French departments of Isère, Hautes-Alpes and Savoie.

The whole range is drained by the Rhone river through its tributaries.

Peaks

The chief peaks of the Dauphiné Alps are:

Peak	elevation
	m	ft
Barre des Écrins	4,102	13,458
Meije	3,987	13,081
Ailefroide	3,954	12,972
Mont Pelvoux	3,946	12,946
Pic Sans Nom	3,913	12,838
Pic Gaspard	3,880	12,730
Pic Coolidge	3,756	12,323
Grande Ruine	3,754	12,316
Le Râteau	3,754	12,316
Les Bans	3,669	12,037
Montagne des Agneaux	3,660	12,008
Sommet des Rouies	3,634	11,923
Aiguille du Plat de la Selle	3,596	11,798
Olan	3,564	11,693
Pic Bonvoisin	3,560	11,680
Aiguilles d'Arves (highest point)	3,514	11,529

Peak	elevation
	m	ft
Pic Bayle	3,465	11,368
Roche de la Muzelle	3,459	11,348
Sirac	3,438	11,280
Pic Felix Neff	3,222	10,571
Vieux Chaillol	3,163	10,377
Tete de Vautisse	3,162	10,374
Grand Pinier	3,120	10,236
Pic de Parieres	3,050	10,007
Mourre Froid	2,996	9,829
Grand Pic de Belledonne	2,977	9,767
Rocherblanc (Sept Laux)	2,931	9,616
Le Taillefer	2,861	9,386
Tete de l'Obiou	2,793	9,163
Pic du Frene	2,810	9,219
Grand Ferrand	2,761	9,058
Pic de Bure (Aurouse)	2,712	8,898

Passes

File:Croix de Fer.jpg

Col de la Croix de Fer

The chief passes of the Dauphiné Alps are:

name	location	type	elevation
			m	ft
Brèche de la Meije	La Berarde to la Grave	snow	3,300	10,827
Brèche des Grandes Rousses	Allemont to Clavans	snow	3,100	10,171
Brèche de Valsenestre	Bourg d'Oisans to Valsenestre	foot path	2,634	8,642
Col Bayard	La Mure to Gap	road	1,246	4,088
Col de la Casse Deserte	La Berarde to La Grave	snow	3,510	11,516
Col de la Croix de Fer	Bourg d'Oisans to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	road	2,062	6,765
Col de la Croix Haute	Grenoble to Serres and Gap	road, railroad	1,167	3,829
Col de la Lauze	Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans to La Grave	snow	3,543	11,624
Col de l'Alpe de Vénosc	Vénosc to Les Deux Alpes	bridle path	1,660	5,446
Col de la Muande	St Christophe to the Val Gaudemar	snow	3,059	10,036
Col de la Muzelle	St Christophe to Valsenestre	foot path	2,500	8,202
Col d'Arsine	La Grave to Le Monêtier-les-Bains	bridle path	2,400	7,874
Col de la Temple	La Berarde to Vallouise	snow	3,283	10,771
Col de la Vaurze	Val Gaudemar to Valjouffrey	foot path	2,600	8,530
Col de l'Eychauda	Vallouise to Le Monêtier-les-Bains	bridle path	2,429	7,969
Col de l'Infernet	La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	foot path	2,690	8,825
Col de Martignare	La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	foot path	2,600	8,530
Col des Aiguilles d'Arves	Valloire to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	snow	3,150	10,335
Col des Avalanches	La Berarde to Vallouise	snow	3,511	11,519
Col des Ecrins	La Berarde to Vallouise	snow	3,415	11,204
Col des Prés Nouveaux	Le Freney to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	bridle path	2,293	7,523
Col des Quirlies	Saint-Jean-d'Arves to Clavans	snow	2,950	9,678
Col des Sept Laux	Allevard to Bourg d'Oisans	bridle path	2,184	7,165
Col des Tourettes	Orcières to Châteauroux-les-Alpes	bridle path	2,580	8,465
Col de Val Estrete	Val Gaudemar to Champoléon	foot path	2,620	8,596
Col de Vallonpierre	Val Gaudemar to Champoléon	foot path	2,620	8,596
Col d'Orcières	Dormillouse to Orcières	bridle path	2,700	8,858
Col d'Ornon	Bourg d'Oisans to La Mure	road	1,360	4,462
Col du Clot des Cavales	La Berarde to La Grave	snow	3,128	10,262
Col du Galibier	Col du Lautaret to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne	road	2,658	8,720
Col du Glacier Blanc	La Grave to Vallouise	snow	3,308	10,853
Col du Glandon	Bourg d'Oisans to La Chambre	road	1,951	6,401
Col du Goleon	La Grave to Valloire	foot path	2,880	9,449
Col du Lautaret	Briançon to Bourg d'Oisans	road	2,075	6,808
Col du Loup du Valgaudemar	Vallouise to the Val Gaudemar	snow	3,112	10,210
Col du Says	La Berarde to the Val Gaudemar	snow	3,136	10,289
Col du Sele	La Berarde to Vallouise	snow	3,302	10,833
Col du Sellar	Vallouise to the Val Gaudemar	snow	3,067	10,062
Col Emile Pic	La Grave to Vallouise	snow	3,502	11,490
Col Lombard	La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	snow	3,100	10,171
Pas de la Cavale	Vallouise to Champoléon	dirt road	2,740	8,990

Maps

• French official cartography (Institut Géographique National - IGN); on-line version: www.geoportail.fr