Mont Blanc Massif
Encyclopedia
The Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range
in the western Alps. It is named after Mont Blanc
, at 4,810.45 m the highest summit of the Alps
. It is located in France
(Haute-Savoie
and Savoie
), Italy
(Aosta Valley), and Switzerland
(western Valais
). The Mont Blanc massif is sometimes considered to be part of either the Pennine Alps
or the Graian Alps
.
The Col Ferret
separates it from the Pennine Alps; the Little St Bernard Pass
separates it from the Graian Alps
; the Arve
valley separates it from the Aiguilles Rouges
and the French Prealps
.
The French side of the Mont Blanc massif is drained by the rivers Arve
and Isère
. The Italian side is drained by the river Dora Baltea
. The Swiss side is drained by left tributaries of the river Rhône
. The three borders converge near the summit of Mont Dolent
.
Mont Blanc is crossed by a 11.6 km tunnel
that connects Courmayeur
(Italy
) to Chamonix
(France
). The tunnel is infamous for an accident on March 24, 1999, when a truck ignited in the tunnel, and the resulting fire lasted 53 hours and killed 39.
s :
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in the western Alps. It is named after 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...
, at 4,810.45 m the highest summit of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. It is located in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
and Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Aosta Valley), and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(western Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
). The Mont Blanc massif is sometimes considered to be part of either the Pennine Alps
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
or the Graian Alps
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
.
The Col Ferret
Col Ferret
The Col Ferret is an Alpine pass between the canton of Valais and the Aosta Valley. This pass separates the Mont Blanc Massif from the Pennine Alps.-See also:* List of highest paved roads in Europe...
separates it from the Pennine Alps; the Little St Bernard Pass
Little St Bernard Pass
The Little St Bernard Pass 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, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St...
separates it from the Graian Alps
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
; the Arve
Arve
The Arve river flows for approximately 100 km through France, in the département of Haute-Savoie, and in Switzerland...
valley separates it from the Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
The Aiguilles Rouges are a crystalline mountainous massif of the French Prealps, opposite the Mont Blanc massif. The color of the iron rich gneiss mountains gives the range its name. The highest summit is the Aiguille du Belvédère at...
and 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;...
.
The French side of the Mont Blanc massif is drained by the rivers Arve
Arve
The Arve river flows for approximately 100 km through France, in the département of Haute-Savoie, and in Switzerland...
and Isère
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
. The Italian side is drained by the river Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea or Doire Baltée , is a river in northern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po River, and is about 160 km long...
. The Swiss side is drained by left tributaries of the river Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
. The three borders converge near the summit of Mont Dolent
Mont Dolent
Mont Dolent is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif that lies on the border of Italy and Switzerland.It is generally considered the tripoint between France, Italy and Switzerland, although the point itself lies at 3,749 metres, north-west of the summit of Mont Dolent.The first ascent of the...
.
Mont Blanc is crossed by a 11.6 km tunnel
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as...
that connects Courmayeur
Courmayeur
Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) to 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...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). The tunnel is infamous for an accident on March 24, 1999, when a truck ignited in the tunnel, and the resulting fire lasted 53 hours and killed 39.
Glaciers
Largest 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...
s :
- Mer de GlaceMer de GlaceThe Mer de Glace is a glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the Alps. At long and deep, it is the longest glacier in France.-Geography:...
- Trient GlacierTrient GlacierThe Trient Glacier is a 4.3 km long glacier situated in the Mont Blanc Massif in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of 6.4 km².-External links:*...
- Saleina GlacierSaleina GlacierThe Saleina Glacier is a long glacier situated in the Mont Blanc Massif in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is adjacent to the Aiguille d'Argentière.-External links:*...
- Glacier des BossonsGlacier des BossonsThe Bossons Glacier is one of the glaciers found in the Chamonix valley of Haute-Savoie département, south-eastern France. It is on the north-eastern side of the valley, close to the Aiguille du Midi.-See also:*List of glaciers...
Passes
The main passes of the Mont Blanc massif are shown in the table below.| name | location | type | |elevation (m/ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col de la Brenva | Courmayeur Courmayeur Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea... to 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... |
snow | 4,333 | 14,217 |
| Col de Triolet | Chamonix to Courmayeur | snow | 3,691 | 12,110 |
| Col d'Argentière | Chamonix to Orsières Orsières Orsières is a municipality in the district of Entremont in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Orsières has an area, , of . Of this area, 16.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 25.2% is forested... |
snow | 3,516 | 11,536 |
| Col de Talefre | Chamonix to Courmayeur | snow | 3,484 | 11,430 |
| Col de Miage | Les Contamines to Courmayeur | snow | 3,376 | 11,077 |
| Col du Géant | Chamonix to Courmayeur | snow | 3,371 | 11,060 |
| Col du Chardonnet | Chamonix to Orsières | snow | 3,325 | 10,909 |
| Col du Tour | Chamonix to Orsières | snow | 3,280 | 10,762 |
| Fenetre de Saleinaz | Saleinaz Glacier to Trient Glacier | snow | 3,264 | 10,709 |
| Col de Breuil | Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:... to La Thuile La Thuile La Thuile is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy.-Geography:La Thuile is situated in the Alps at the extreme north-west of the country, close to the French alpine town of La Rosière... |
snow | 2,879 | 9,446 |
| Col du Mont Tondu | Les Contamines to Courmayeur | snow | 2,590 | 8,498 |
| Col Ferret | Courmayeur to Orsières | bridle path | 2,533 | 8,311 |
| Col de la Seigne | Les Chapieux to Courmayeur | bridle path | 2,512 | 8,242 |
| Col de Susanfe | Champéry Champéry Champéry is a municipality in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Champéry is first mentioned in 1286 as Champery... to Salvan Salvan, Switzerland Salvan is a municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.-History:Salvan is first mentioned in 1018 as cum Silvano. Around 1025-31 it was mentioned as in monte Salvano. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Scharwang, however, that name is... |
foot path | 2,500 | 8,202 |
| Col du Bonhomme | Contamines to Les Chapieux | bridle path | 2,483 | 8,147 |
| Col de Sageroux | Sixt Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is a municipality in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.- Geography :The town ranges in altitude from , and three-quarters of its area are part of a Natural Reserve and thus completely uninhabited... to Champéry |
foot path | 2,413 | 7,917 |
| Col d'Anterne | Sixt to Servoz | bridle path | 2,263 | 7,425 |
| Col de Balme | Chamonix to the Trient Valley | bridle path | 2,201 | 7,221 |
| Little St Bernard Pass Little St Bernard Pass The Little St Bernard Pass 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, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St... |
Aosta to Moûtiers | road | 2188 | 7179 |
| Colle Checrouit | Courmayeur to the Lac de Combal | bridle path | 1,960 | 6,431 |
| Col de Voza | Chamonix to Les Contamines | bridle path | 1,675 | 5,496 |
| Col de la Forclaz (F) | Chamonix to Saint-Gervais Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... |
bridle path | 1,556 | 5,105 |
| Col de la Forclaz (CH) | Argentière Argentière Argentière is a picturesque skiing, alpine walking and mountaineering village in the French Alps, part of the commune of Chamonix Mont Blanc. Altitude: 1252m .-Geography:... to Martigny Martigny, Switzerland Martigny is the capital of the French-speaking district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants . It is a junction of roads joining Italy, France and Switzerland... |
road | 1,520 | 4,987 |