Aiguilles Rouges
Encyclopedia
The Aiguilles Rouges are a crystalline mountainous massif
of the French Prealps
, opposite the Mont Blanc
massif. The color of the iron rich gneiss (metamorphique) mountains gives the range its name. The highest summit is the Aiguille du Belvédère
at 2965 metres (9,728 ft). At the southern end of the range, Le Brévent
at 2525 metres (8,284 ft) is accessible by a cable car
in the Planpraz and the Brévent sections.
. The alpine stage
begins around 2000 metres (6,562 ft) with rough boulders, above which a series of broken needles springs, from the Col des Montets
to Brévent. The northwestern side of the massif has less vegetation because of its weak exposure to the sun. The other face abounds in vegetation which developed from a multitude of biotope
s. Among the typical flora, hikers can discover sundew
s, martagons and many varieties of orchids. In order to protect this range, the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve (Réserve naturelle des aiguilles rouges) was created in 1974 covering 3279 ha.
The Aiguilles Rouges offer a splendid view of all the peaks of Chamonix
, the glaciers of Mont Blanc, and the roof of Europe. The French artist Samivel is known for his paintings of some of these splendid views. The highest point in this range is named Belvédère ("panorama", literally "beautiful viewpoint") because it offers a 360° panoramic view of the mountains surrounding the Aiguilles Rouges. The mountain path running from Planpraz to the Col des Montets via La Flégère, just above the treeline of the Aiguilles Rouges, is called Le Grand Balcon Sud (Grand Southern Balcony).
The eastern part of the range has numerous mountain lakes, of which the most remarkable is Lac Blanc at the foot of the Aiguille Belvédère.
The range is home to the principal climbing
crags of Chamonix, which ascend the pinnacles of Planpraz made famous by the mountaineer Gaston Rébuffat
.
, when writing the fictional biography of James Bond
, mentioned that Bond's parents were killed in a mountain climbing accident in the Aiguilles Rouges near Chamonix
, when the future secret agent was eleven-year-old.
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
of the French Prealps
French Prealps
The French Prealps 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 Isère and Drôme Rivers; east to a line running from Chamonix, to Albertville, to Grenoble, to Gap, to Barcelonette;...
, opposite the Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
massif. The color of the iron rich gneiss (metamorphique) mountains gives the range its name. The highest summit is the Aiguille du Belvédère
Aiguille du Belvédère
Aiguille du Belvédère is a mountain of Haute-Savoie, France. It lies in the Aiguilles Rouges range. It has an altitude of above sea level....
at 2965 metres (9,728 ft). At the southern end of the range, Le Brévent
Le Brévent
Le Brévent is a mountain of Haute-Savoie, France. It lies in the Aiguilles Rouges range. It has an altitude of 2525 metres above sea level....
at 2525 metres (8,284 ft) is accessible by a cable car
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
in the Planpraz and the Brévent sections.
Morphology
Unlike the massif of the Mount Blanc, the Aiguilles Rouges have no significant glacierGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
. The alpine stage
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
begins around 2000 metres (6,562 ft) with rough boulders, above which a series of broken needles springs, from the Col des Montets
Col des Montets
Col des Montets is a mountain pass in the French Alps in the Haute-Savoie department of France. It is on the road between Chamonix and Martigny in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.It lies between the Swiss Col de la Forclaz and Chamonix....
to Brévent. The northwestern side of the massif has less vegetation because of its weak exposure to the sun. The other face abounds in vegetation which developed from a multitude of biotope
Biotope
Biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. Biotope is almost synonymous with the term habitat, but while the subject of a habitat is a species or a population, the subject of a biotope is a biological community.It...
s. Among the typical flora, hikers can discover sundew
Sundew
Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surface. The insects are used to supplement...
s, martagons and many varieties of orchids. In order to protect this range, the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve (Réserve naturelle des aiguilles rouges) was created in 1974 covering 3279 ha.
The Aiguilles Rouges offer a splendid view of all the peaks of Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, the glaciers of Mont Blanc, and the roof of Europe. The French artist Samivel is known for his paintings of some of these splendid views. The highest point in this range is named Belvédère ("panorama", literally "beautiful viewpoint") because it offers a 360° panoramic view of the mountains surrounding the Aiguilles Rouges. The mountain path running from Planpraz to the Col des Montets via La Flégère, just above the treeline of the Aiguilles Rouges, is called Le Grand Balcon Sud (Grand Southern Balcony).
The eastern part of the range has numerous mountain lakes, of which the most remarkable is Lac Blanc at the foot of the Aiguille Belvédère.
The range is home to the principal climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
crags of Chamonix, which ascend the pinnacles of Planpraz made famous by the mountaineer Gaston Rébuffat
Gaston Rébuffat
Gaston Rébuffat was a well-known French alpinist and mountain guide. The climbing technique, to gaston, was named after him. He was a recipient of France's prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1984....
.
In fiction
Ian FlemingIan Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, when writing the fictional biography of James Bond
James Bond (character)
Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
, mentioned that Bond's parents were killed in a mountain climbing accident in the Aiguilles Rouges near Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, when the future secret agent was eleven-year-old.