Dauphiné Alps

44°55′23″N 6°21′36″E / 44.92306°N 6.36000°E / 44.92306; 6.36000NamingNative nameAlpes du Dauphiné (French)GeographyCountryFranceRegionsRhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurRiversDrac, Durance, Isère and ArcParent rangeAlpsBorders onCottian Alps, Graian Alps, Savoy Prealps, Dauphiné Prealps and Provence Alps and PrealpsGeologyOrogenyAlpine 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 Écrins National Park, Belledonne, Le 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 through its tributaries.

It has been proposed that the height of mountains in the Dauphiné Alps is limited by the erosion caused by small glaciers, causing a topographic effect called the glacial buzzsaw.^[2]

Peaks

The chief peaks of the Dauphiné Alps are:

Passes

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	footpath	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	footpath	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	footpath	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	footpath	2,690	8,825
Col de Martignare	La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves	footpath	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	footpath	2,620	8,596
Col de Vallonpierre	Val Gaudemar to Champoléon	footpath	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	footpath	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

References

Maps

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