Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Barre des Écrins


Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Barre des Écrins

⭐ Core Definition: Mont Blanc Massif

The Mont Blanc massif (French: Massif du Mont-Blanc [masif dy mɔ̃ blɑ̃]; Italian: Massiccio del Monte Bianco) is a mountain range in the Alps, located mostly in France and Italy, but also straddling Switzerland at its northeastern end. It contains eleven major independent summits, each over 4,000 metres (13,123 ft) in height. It is named after Mont Blanc (4,808 metres (15,774 ft)), the highest point in western Europe and the European Union. Because of its considerable overall altitude, a large proportion of the massif is covered by glaciers, which include the Mer de Glace and the Miage Glacier – the longest glaciers in France and Italy, respectively.

The massif forms a watershed between the vast catchments of the rivers Rhône and Po, and a tripoint between France, Italy and Switzerland; it also marks the border between two climate regions by separating the northern and western Alps from the southern Alps. The mountains of the massif consist mostly of granite and gneiss rocks and at high altitudes the vegetation is an arctic-alpine flora.

↓ Menu
HINT:

👉 Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Barre des Écrins

The Barre des Écrins (French pronunciation: [baʁ dez‿ekʁɛ̃]) is a mountain in the French Alps with a peak elevation of 4,102 metres (13,458 ft). It is the highest peak of the Massif des Écrins and the Dauphiné Alps and the most southerly alpine peak in Europe that is higher than 4,000 metres. It is the only 4,000-metre mountain in France that lies outside the Mont Blanc Massif. Before the annexation of Savoy in 1860 it was the highest mountain in France.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Aiguilles Rouges

The Aiguilles Rouges (French pronunciation: [ɛɡɥij ʁuʒ], "Red Needles") are a crystalline mountainous massif of the French Prealps, opposite the Mont Blanc Massif. The colour of the iron-rich gneiss (metamorphique) mountains gives the range its name. The highest summit is the Aiguille du Belvédère at 2,965 metres (9,728 ft). At the southern end of the range, Le Brévent at 2,525 metres (8,284 ft) is accessible by a cable car in the Planpraz and the Brévent sections.

View the full Wikipedia page for Aiguilles Rouges
↑ Return to Menu

Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Ferret Valley

Val Ferret is the name shared by two valleys separated by the Col Ferret, a pass on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The valleys lie southeast of Mont Blanc Massif. The Swiss valley drains northeast towards Orsières and on into the Rhône basin; whereas the Italian valley drains southwest towards Courmayeur and on into the Po basin.

The two valleys are connected by a mountain footpath through Col Ferret which forms part of the 170 kilometres (110 mi) circular Tour du Mont Blanc route. Access to Col Ferret is forbidden for private motor vehicles, on both sides.

View the full Wikipedia page for Ferret Valley
↑ Return to Menu

Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Chablais Alps

The Chablais Alps (French: Massif du Chablais, pronounced [masif dy ʃablɛ]) are a mountain range in the Western Alps. They are situated between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc Massif. The Col des Montets separates them from the Mont Blanc Massif in the south, and the Rhône valley separates them from the Bernese Alps in the east.

The Chablais Alps are composed of two distinct parts separated by the Val d'Illiez: the Dents du Midi massif on the south which contains the highest peaks, and the alpine foothills on the north.

View the full Wikipedia page for Chablais Alps
↑ Return to Menu

Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Little St Bernard Pass

The Little St Bernard Pass (French: Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, Italian: Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo) is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France, and Aosta Valley, Italy, to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, exactly on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St. Bernard Pass, famous for giving the St Bernard breed its name, and a San Bernardino Pass.

The road across this pass (D1090 from Bourg-Saint-Maurice via La Rosiere in France; SS26 from the Aosta Valley via La Thuile in Italy) is usually open from May to October. For current road status see Etat des principaux cols routiers francais.

View the full Wikipedia page for Little St Bernard Pass
↑ Return to Menu

Mont Blanc Massif in the context of Col Ferret

The Col Ferret (or Grand Col Ferret) is an Alpine pass between the canton of Valais and the Aosta Valley (2,537 metres (8,323 ft)). It is crossed by the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Close to it stands the Petit Col Ferret, at an elevation of 2,490 metres (8,170 ft), which separates the Mont Blanc Massif from the Pennine Alps.

View the full Wikipedia page for Col Ferret
↑ Return to Menu