Graian Alps Explained

Graian Alps
Other Name:French: Alpes grées, Italian: Alpi Graie
Country Type:Countries
Subdivision1 Type:Provinces/Regions
Parent:Alps
Highest:Mont Blanc
Elevation M:4810.45
Coordinates:45.8336°N 6.865°W
Range Coordinates:45.5°N 17°W
Orogeny:Alpine orogeny

The Graian Alps (French: Alpes grées pronounced as /fr/; Italian: Alpi Graie pronounced as /it/) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps.

Etymology

The name Graie comes from the Graioceli Celtic tribe, which dwelled in the area surrounding the Mont Cenis pass and the Viù valley.[1] Other sources claim that the name comes from the Celtic "Graig" meaning rock/stone, literally the Rocky Mountains[2]

Geography

The Graian Alps are located in France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), Italy (Piedmont and the Aosta Valley), and Switzerland (western Valais).

The French side of the Graian Alps is drained by the river Isère (Tarentaise valley) and its tributary Arc (Maurienne valley), and by the Arve. The Italian side is drained by the rivers Dora Riparia, Dora Baltea, Orco and Stura di Lanzo, tributaries of the Po.

The Graian Alps can also be divided into the following four groups:

Peaks

The main peaks of the Graian Alps are:

Mont Blanc group

Namemetresfeet
Mont Blanc4,810.45[3] 15,782
Mont Maudit4,47114,669
Dôme du Goûter4,33114,210
Grandes Jorasses4,20513,797
Aiguille Verte4,12713,541
Aiguille de Bionnassay4,06613,341
Dent du Géant4,01313,166
Aiguille de Tré la Tête3,91112,832
Aiguille d'Argentière3,90212,802
Aiguille de Triolet3,87612,717
Aiguille du Midi3,84312,609
Tour Noir3,83612,586
Aiguille des Glaciers3,83412,579
Mont Dolent3,82312,543
Aiguille du Chardonnet3,82212,540
Aiguille du Dru3,75412,316
Dômes de Miage3,68812,100
Aiguille du Tour3,54011,615
Aiguille du Grépon3,50211,489
Aiguille des Charmoz3,44211,293
Aiguille du Tacul3,43811,280
Pointe d'Orny3,27410,742
Mont Favre3,25910,693
Tour Sallière3,22710,588
Pointe de Léchaud3,12710,260
Mont Buet3,10910,201
Mont Ruan3,07810,099
Roignais2,9959,826
Pic de Tenneverge2,9829,784
Aiguille du Belvédère (Aigs Rouges)2,9669,731
Crammont2,7378,980
Pointe des Fours2,7198,921
Pointe du Colloney2,6928,832
Catogne2,5998,527
Mont Joly2,5278,291
Brevent2,5258,284
Pointe de Sales2,4948,183
Aiguille de Varan2,4888,163
Aiguille Croche2,4878,159
Mont Chétif2,3437,687

Central group

NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
3760 12,336Grande Aiguille Rousse 3482 11,424
3751 12,306Granta-Parey 3473 11,395
3676 12,061Roc du Moulinet 3469 11,382
3638 11,936Aiguille Pers 3451 11,323
3618 11,871Pointe de la Galise 3345 10,975
3619 11,874Pointe de la Traversière 3341 10,962
Bec de l'Invergnan 3608 11,838Ormelune/Pointe d'Archeboc 3283 10,771
3606 11,831Signal du Mont Iseran 3241 10,634
3597 11,801Grand Assaly3174 10,413
3566 11,703Torre d'Ovarda 3075 10,089
Punta d'Arnas 3540 11,615Dôme de Val d'Isère3033 9,951
3537 11,605Pointe de Tierce2973 9,754
Punta Chalanson 3530 11,582Uia di Mondrone 2964 9,725
Grande Traversière 3495 11,4672272 7,454
3486 11,4382302 7,553

Eastern group

NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
4061 13,3243513 11,444
3969 13,0223438 11,280
3778 12,396Punta Sengie 3408 11,182
3692 12,113Punta Lavina 3308 10,854
3665 12,025Rosa dei Banchi 3164 10,381
Roccia Viva 3650 11,976Becca di Nona 3142 10,309
Becca di Gay 3623 11,887Punta Pousset 3046 9,994
Monte Emilius3559 11,677Monte Colombo 2848 9,344
Punta Tersiva3513 11,526Monte Marzo 2750 9,023

Western group

NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
3855 12,6483422 11,227
3779 12,398Bellecôte3417 11,211
3697 12,129Pointes de la Gliere 3386 11,109
3653 11,985Pointe de Méan Martin 3337 10,949
3601 11,808Roche Chevrière 3252 10,669
Dôme de Chasseforêt 3586 11,7653227 10,584
3566 11,700Pointe de la Réchasse 3223 10,575
Aiguille de Polset 3538 11,608Petit Mont Blanc de Pralognan 2685 8809
Pointe de la Sana 3436 11,273Mont Jovet25638409

Passes

The main passes of the Graian Alps are shown in the table below. The group in which the pass is located is indicated with "MB" for Mont Blanc group, "C" for Central group, "E" for Eastern group, and "W" for Western group.

namelocationgrouptypeelevation (m/ft)
Col de la BrenvaMBsnow4,33314,217
Col de TrioletChamonix to CourmayeurMBsnow3,69112,110
Col d'ArgentièreMBsnow3,51611,536
Col de la Grande Rousse Rhêmes Valley to ValgrisencheCsnow 350011,483
Col de TalefreChamonix to CourmayeurMBsnow3,48411,430
Col de Gebroulaz Modane to MéribelWsnow347011,385
Col de Monel Cogne to LocanaEsnow342811,247
Col de MiageLes Contamines to CourmayeurMBsnow3,37611,077
Col du GéantChamonix to CourmayeurMBsnow3,37111,060
Col du Grand Paradis Ceresole Reale to ValsavarencheEsnow334910,988
Col du Charforon Ceresole Reale to ValsavarencheEsnow333110,929
Col de Teleccio Cogne to LocanaEsnow 332610,913
Col du ChardonnetChamonix to OrsièresMBsnow3,32510,909
Col de Lauzon Cogne to the ValsavarencheEbridle path330110,831
Col du Bouquetin Bonneval-sur-Arc to Val d'IsèreCsnow330010,827
Col de St Valgrisenche to La ThuileCsnow 330010,827
Col du TourChamonix to OrsièresMBsnow3,28010,762
Fenêtre de SaleinazSaleinaz Glacier to Trient GlacierMBsnow3,26410,709
Col de l'Herbetet Cogne to ValsavarencheEsnow 325710,686
Col du Collerin Bessans to BalmeCsnow 320210,506
Col du Grand Etret Ceresole Reale to ValsavarancheEsnow 315810,361
Col de Bassac Rhêmes Valley to ValgrisencheCsnow315310,345
Col du Carro Bonneval-sur-Arc to Ceresole RealeCsnow314010,302
Col d'Arbole Cogne to BrissogneEsnow313710,292
Col de la Goletta Val d'Isère to the Rhêmes ValleyCsnow312010,237
Col de Rhêmes Val d'Isère to the Rhêmes ValleyCsnow 310110,174
Col de la Grande Casse Pralognan to TermignonWsnow 310010,171
Col de Sea Bonneval-sur-Arc to Forno Alpi GraieCsnow 308310,115
Col de l'Autaret Bessans to UsseglioCfootpath307010,073
Col de Girard Bonneval-sur-Arc to Forno Alpi GraieCsnow 30449987
Col Rosset Valsavarenche to the Rhêmes ValleyCbridle path 30249922
Col d'Arnas Bessans to BalmeCsnow 30149889
Col de la Galise Ceresole Reale to Val d'IsèreCsnow29989836
Col de Sort Valsavarenche to the Rhêmes ValleyEbridle path29679735
Quecees de Tignes Val d'Isère to TermignonWsnow 29409646
Col della Nouva Cogne to Pont CanaveseEbridle path29339623
Col de BreuilMBsnow2,8799,446
Col de Garin Aosta to CogneEfootpath 28689411
Collarin d'Arnas Balme to UsseglioCsnow 28509351
Colle della Finestra Rhêmes Valley to the ValgrisencheCfootpath28479341
Fenêtre de Champorcher Cogne to ChamporcherEbridle path28389311
Col Vaudet Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise to the ValgrisencheCfootpath28369305
Col de Bardoney Cogne to Pont CanaveseEsnow 28339295
Col de Chaviere Modane to PralognanWfootpath28069206
Col de la Leisse Tignes to TermignonWsnow27809121
Bonneval-sur-Arc to Val d'IsèreCroad27699085
Ghicet di Sea Balme to Forno Alpi GraieCfootpath 27358973
Col de la Sachette Tignes to Bourg-Saint-MauriceWfootpath27298954
Col du Palet Tignes to Moûtiers or Bourg St MauriceWbridle path26588721
Col du Mont Ste Foy to the ValgrisencheCbridle path 26468681
Ceresole Reale to the ValsavarencheEroad26418665
Colle della Crocetta Ceresole Reale to Forno Alpi GraieCbridle path26368649
Col de la Platiere Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to MoûtiersWbridle path 26008531
Col du Mont TonduLes Contamines to CourmayeurMBsnow2,5908,498
Col FerretCourmayeur to OrsièresMBbridle path2,5338,311
Col de la Vanoise Pralognan to TermignonWbridle path 25278291
Col de la SeigneLes Chapieux to CourmayeurMBbridle path2,5128,242
Col de SusanfeMBfootpath2,5008,202
Col du BonhommeContamines to Les ChapieuxMBbridle path2,4838,147
Col de SagerouxSixt to ChampéryMBfootpath2,4137,917
Col des Encombres Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to MoûtiersWbridle path 23377668
Col d'AnterneSixt to ServozMBbridle path2,2637,425
Col de BalmeChamonix to the Trient ValleyMBbridle path2,2017,221
Aosta to MoûtiersCroad 21887179
Modane to SusaCroad 20836827
La Chambre to MoûtiersWroad19936509
Colle ChecrouitCourmayeur to the Lac de CombalMBbridle path1,9606,431
Col de VozaChamonix to Les ContaminesMBbridle path1,6755,496
Col de la Forclaz (F)MBbridle path1,5565,105
Col de la Forclaz (CH)MBroad1,5204,987

Nature conservation

The western group contains the Vanoise National Park, established in 1972 and covering [4] the eastern group contains the Gran Paradiso National Park, the oldest Italian national park.[5] Also on the Italian side is located the Parco Regionale del Monte Avic, a nature park of 5,747 ha established by Regione Valle d'Aosta.[6]

Maps

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Il territorio piemontese nel periodo preromano, on-line text on www.leganordavigliana.com
  2. Web site: Revue celtique de Toronto, Tome III . 2014-08-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140810014146/http://scans.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/9/29/revueceltiqu03pari/revueceltiqu03pari.pdf . 2014-08-10 . dead .
  3. Web site: Mont Blanc shrinks by 45cm in two years . 2009-11-05 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230214082228/https://www.smh.com.au/environment/mont-blanc-shrinks-by-45cm-in-two-years-20091106-i0kk.html . 2023-02-14 . live .
  4. Les chiffres clés du Parc national de la Vanoise, National park official web-site www.parcnational-vanoise.fr (accessed on April 2012)
  5. Il parco compie 90 anni, National park official web-site www.pngp.it (accessed on April 2012)
  6. Parco del Mont Avic, home page on www.montavic.info (accessed on April 2012)