The Dauphiné Alps () 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 () 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 , 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 Rhône 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.
Peaks The chief peaks of the Dauphiné Alps are:
Peak Elevation m ft Barre des Écrins Meije Ailefroide Mont Pelvoux Pic Sans Nom Pic Gaspard Pic Coolidge Grande Ruine Le Râteau Les Bans Les Agneaux Sommet des Rouies Aiguille du Plat de la Selle Olan Pic Bonvoisin Aiguilles d'Arves (highest point) Peak Elevation m ft Pic Bayle Roche de la Muzelle Sirac Pic Felix Neff Vieux Chaillol Tete de Vautisse Grand Pic de Belledonne Rocherblanc (Sept Laux) Le Taillefer Grande Tête de l'Obiou Pic du Frêne Pic de Bure (Aurouse) Le Piolit
Passes
The chief passes of the Dauphiné Alps are:
Name Location Type Elevation m ft Brèche de la Meije La Bérarde to la Grave snow Brèche des Grandes Rousses Allemont to Clavans snow Brèche de Valsenestre Le Bourg-d'Oisans to footpath Col Bayard La Mure to Gap road Col de la Casse Deserte La Bérarde to La Grave snow Col de la Croix de Fer Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Jean-d'Arves road Col de la Croix Haute Grenoble to Serres and Gap road, railroad Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans to La Grave snow Col de l'Alpe de Vénosc Vénosc to Les Deux Alpes bridle path Col de la Muande St Christophe to the Val Gaudemar snow Col de la Muzelle St Christophe to Valsenestre footpath La Grave to Le Monêtier-les-Bains bridle path La Bérarde to Vallouise snow Col de la Vaurze Val Gaudemar to Valjouffrey footpath Col de l'Eychauda Vallouise to Le Monêtier-les-Bains bridle path Col de l'Infernet La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves footpath Col de Martignare La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves footpath Col des Aiguilles d'Arves Valloire to Saint-Jean-d'Arves snow to Vallouise snow Col des Ecrins La Bérarde to Vallouise snow Col des Prés Nouveaux to Saint-Jean-d'Arves bridle path Col des Quirlies Saint-Jean-d'Arves to Clavans snow Col des Sept Laux Allevard to Le Bourg-d'Oisans bridle path Orcières to Châteauroux-les-Alpes bridle path Col de Val Estrete Val Gaudemar to Champoléon footpath Col de Vallonpierre Val Gaudemar to Champoléon footpath Col d'Orcières to Orcières bridle path Col d'Ornon Le Bourg-d'Oisans to La Mure road Col du Clot des Cavales La Bérarde to La Grave snow Col du Galibier Col du Lautaret to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne road Col du Glacier Blanc La Grave to Vallouise snow Col du Glandon Bourg d'Oisans to La Chambre road Col du Goleon La Grave to Valloire footpath Col du Lautaret Briançon to Bourg d'Oisans road Col du Loup du Valgaudemar Vallouise to the Val Gaudemar snow Col du Says La Bérarde to the Val Gaudemar snow Col du Sele La Bérarde to Vallouise snow Col du Sellar Vallouise to the Val Gaudemar snow Col Emile Pic La Grave to Vallouise snow La Grave to Saint-Jean-d'Arves snow Pas de la Cavale Vallouise to Champoléon dirt road
References
Maps French official cartography (Institut Géographique National – IGN); on-line version: www.geoportail.fr