This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
| French Prealps | |
|---|---|
| Prealps | |
 Summits in the Chartreuse Mountains, part of the French Prealps | |
| Highestย point | |
| Peak | Haute Cime |
| Elevation | 10,686ย ft (3,257ย m) |
| Geography | |
 Ranges of the French Alps, with the Prealps ranges highlighted in orange | |
Country | France |
Regions | |
Range coordinates | 43ยฐ59โฒN 6ยฐ6.65โฒE๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ43.983ยฐN 6.11083ยฐE |
| Parent range | Alps |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
| Rock ages | |
| Rock types | |
The French Prealps (French: Prรฉalpes franรงaises [pสealp fสษฬsษหz])[1] are a group of subalpine mountain ranges of medium elevation located immediately west of the French Alps. They roughly stretch from Lake Geneva southwest to the rivers Isรจre and Drรดme; east to a line running from Chamonix, to Albertville, to Grenoble, to Gap, to Barcelonette; and south from Grasse to Vence.
In the northern subalpine regions, the various ranges are easily identifiable by geographical separations, such as the Voreppe Gorge between Vercors and Chartreuse, or Chambรฉry, which sits in a valley between the Bauges and Chartreuse ranges. In the southern subalpine regions, the ranges are generally disorganized and lack the wide, deep valleys that divide them in the north.
Three non-contiguous ranges traditionally comprise the southern French Prealps: the Alpilles, Mont Sainte-Victoire and Sainte-Baume.
Ranges and peaks
edit| Chain | Range | Highest summit | Elevation (m/ft) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savoy Prealps | Haut-Giffre Massif | Dents du Midi, Haute Cime | 3,257 metres (10,686ย ft) | Highest summit in the French Prealps |
| Savoy Prealps | Aiguilles Rouges | Aiguille du Belvรฉdรจre | 2,965 metres (9,728ย ft) | |
| Savoy Prealps | Chablais Alps | Hauts-Forts | 2,464 metres (8,084ย ft) | Peak on French side of the range |
| Savoy Prealps | Bornes | Pointe Blanche | 2,438 metres (7,999ย ft) | |
| Savoy Prealps | Aravis Range | Pointe Percรฉe | 2,750 metres (9,022ย ft) | |
| Savoy Prealps | Bauges | Arcalod | 2,217 metres (7,274ย ft) | |
| Savoy Prealps | Chartreuse Mountains | Chamechaude | 2,082 metres (6,831ย ft) | |
| Dauphinรฉ Prealps | Vercors Plateau | Grand Veymont | 2,341 metres (7,680ย ft) | also called the French Dolomites |
| Dauphinรฉ Prealps | Diois Mountains | Mont Jocou | 2,051 metres (6,729ย ft) | |
| Provence Prealps | Baronnies | Mont Mare | 1,603 metres (5,259ย ft) | |
| Dauphinรฉ Prealps | Dรฉvoluy Mountains | Grande Tรชte de l'Obiou | 2,789 metres (9,150ย ft) | |
| Dauphinรฉ Prealps | Bochaine | Mont Cรฉรผse | 2,016 metres (6,614ย ft) | also called the Pays du Buรซch |
| Provence Prealps | Massif des Trois-รvรชchรฉs | Tรชte de l'Estrop | 2,961 metres (9,715ย ft) | |
| Provence Prealps | Digne Prealps | Les Monges | 2,115 metres (6,939ย ft) | |
| Provence Prealps | Vaucluse Mountains | Signal de Saint-Pierre | 1,256 metres (4,121ย ft) | |
| Provence Prealps | Luberon Mountains | Mourre Nรจgre | 1,125 metres (3,691ย ft) | |
| Provence Prealps | Castellane Prealps | Puy de Rent | 1,996 metres (6,549ย ft) | also called the Grasse Prealps |
| Maritime Prealps | Nice Prealps | Pointe des Trois Communes | 2,080 metres (6,824ย ft) | Highest point on the Authion Massif |
| Non-contiguous | Alpilles | Tour des Opies | 498 metres (1,634ย ft) | Traditional southern range |
| Non-contiguous | Mont Sainte-Victoire | Pic des Mouches | 1,011 metres (3,317ย ft) | Traditional southern range |
| Non-contiguous | Sainte-Baume | Joug de l'Aigle | 1,148 metres (3,766ย ft) | Traditional southern range |
Among the best known peaks in the French Prealps are:
- Mont Ventoux, near Carpentras, Vaucluse, called the "Giant of Provence" 1,912 metres (6,273ย ft)
- Mont Aiguille, near Chichilianne, Isรจre, which has a distinctive broad flat top, 2,087 metres (6,847ย ft)
References
edit- L'Organisation structurale des Alpes franรงaises (French)
- Raoul Blanchard (1938โ1956), Les Alpes Occidentales. Paris: รdition Arthaud. (French)
- Roger Frison-Roche (1964), Les montagnes de la terre. Paris: Flammarion. (French)
 | This Auvergne-Rhรดne-Alpes geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This Provence-Alpes-Cรดte d'Azur geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
