The Chartreuse Mountains ( ) 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.Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1888 s.v. It appears to be of Gaulish origin;Juan Luis García Alonso, Continental Celtic Word Formation: The Onomastic Data, p. 42 and is perhaps related to the name of the Caturiges tribe.Robert Ellis, A Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps, 1853, p. 174
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, Dent de Crolles, Les Lances de Malissard Grand Som, Dôme de Bellefont Piton de Bellefont Mont Granier, La Grande Sure, Le Charmant Som Sommet du Pinet ou le Truc Rochers de Chalves Rocher de Lorzier Dent de l'Ours Scia Petit Som Pinéa Mont Outheran Grands Crêts Pointe de la Gorgeat Écoutoux mont Saint-Eynard Néron Rachais
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 : , long, deep. Réseau de la Dent de Crolles - about long, deep. Système du Granier, long, deep. Réseau de malissard, long, deep. Système Pinet-Brouillard, long, deep.
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.
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 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. 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.
References
External links
Chartreuse: A Walking Guide A Wiki-Walks guide to some less well known hiking routes in the Chartreuse