Chartreuse Mountains

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}}

File:Le Charmant Som et Chamechaude depuis le Col de la Grande Vache.JPG

The Charmant Som and Chamechaude from the Col de la Grande Vache

File:Carte du Massif de la Chartreuse.svg

Map of the Chartreuse massif

The Chartreuse Mountains (Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) are a mountain range in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble in the south to the Lac du Bourget in the north. They are part of the French Prealps, which continue as the Bauges to the north and the Vercors to the south.

Etymology

The name Chartreuse is derived from the village now known as Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, earlier Catorissium, Cantourisa, Caturissium, and Chatrousse.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1888 s.v.</ref> It appears to be of Gaulish origin;<ref>Juan Luis García Alonso, Continental Celtic Word Formation: The Onomastic Data, p. 42</ref> and is perhaps related to the name of the Caturiges tribe.<ref>Robert Ellis, A Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps, 1853, p. 174</ref>

Geography

The mountain range rises between Grenoble (south), Chambéry (north), Voiron and Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (west) and Grésivaudan (Isère valley, east)

Main summits

Summits of the Chartreuse Mountains include:

• Chamechaude, Template:Convert
• Dent de Crolles, Template:Convert
• Les Lances de Malissard Template:Convert
• Grand Som, Template:Convert
• Dôme de Bellefont Template:Convert
• Piton de Bellefont Template:Convert
• Mont Granier, Template:Convert
• La Grande Sure, Template:Convert
• Le Charmant Som Template:Convert
• Sommet du Pinet ou le Truc Template:Convert
• Rochers de Chalves Template:Convert
• Rocher de Lorzier Template:Convert
• Dent de l'Ours Template:Convert
• Scia Template:Convert
• Petit Som Template:Convert
• Pinéa Template:Convert
• Mont Outheran Template:Convert
• Grands Crêts Template:Convert
• Pointe de la Gorgeat Template:Convert
• Écoutoux Template:Convert
• mont Saint-Eynard Template:Convert
• Néron Template:Convert
• Rachais Template:Convert

Main passes

Passes of the Chartreuse Mountains include :

With road

• Col de la Charmette
• Col de la Cluse
• Col du Coq
• Col du Cucheron
• Col du Granier
• Col de Porte
• Col de Palaquit
• Col de Vence
• Col de la Placette

Without road

• Col de l'Alpe
• Col de l'Alpette
• Col des Ayes
• Col de Charmille
• Col des Émeindras
• Col de la Faîta
• Col de Bellefond
• Col de Léchaud
• Col de la Ruchère
• Col de la Sure
• Col de la Grande Vache
• Col de la Petite Vache
• Col du Baure

Main canyons

Canyons of the Chartreuse Mountains include :

• Gorges du Guiers Vif
• Gorges du Guiers Mort
• Gorges du Ténaison
• Gorges de la Vence
• Gorge du Manival
• Gorges de l'Echaillon
• Gorges du Cozon Rau

Main plateaux

Plateaux of the Chartreuse Mountains include :

• Plateau des Petites Roches
• Plateau du Grand-Ratz

Main Caves

The main caves in the Chartreuse include :

• Template:Interlanguage link,
  Template:Convert long, Template:Convert deep.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• Réseau de la Dent de Crolles - about Template:Convert long, Template:Convert deep.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Système du Granier, Template:Convert long, Template:Convert deep.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Réseau de malissard, Template:Convert long, Template:Convert deep.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Système Pinet-Brouillard, Template:Convert long, Template:Convert deep.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Grésivaudan panorama bis.JPG

Panorama of the Grésivaudan Valley and the Chartreuse Mountains from Les Sept Laux.

Geology

The lithology is dominated by limestone, and several hundred kilometres of cave passages lie beneath the hills, including the world-famous 60 km long Dent de Crolles system.Template:Citation needed

File:Double-arch.jpg

The Tour Percée Double Arch, at Template:Convert the longest span in the Alps.

Winter sports resorts

Chartreuse winter sports resorts include :

• Le Désert d'Entremont, where the use of snowshoes has been particularly developed
• Granier en Chartreuse
• Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse and Le Planolet
• Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse
• Col de Porte Template:Convert
• Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse
• La Ruchère (cross-country skiing)
• Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet
• Col de Marcieu
• Col du Coq

Environment

• The Parc Naturel Régional de la Chartreuse was founded in May 1995.
• The Réserve Naturelle des Hauts de Chartreuse was founded in 1997. It includes seven Isère townships and four Savoie townships.

Miscellaneous

The Chartreuse Mountains gave their name to the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse, the monastic Carthusian Order takes its name from these mountains, where its first hermitage was founded in 1084.Template:Citation needed Also derived from the mountain range's name is that of the alcoholic cordial Chartreuse produced by the monks since the 1740s, and of the chartreuse colour, greenish hue of the Chartreuse liqueur, named after the drink.Template:Citation needed

See also

• Charmant Som
• Néron (Isère)

External links

• Chartreuse: A Walking Guide
• A Wiki-Walks guide to some less well known hiking routes in the Chartreuse