The Chartreuse Mountains ( ) are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

in southeastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, stretching from the city of

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

in the south to the Lac du Bourget in the north. They are part of the French Prealps, which continue as the

Bauges The Bauges Mountains (, ) are a mountain range in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Eastern France, stretching from the city of Annecy, Haute-Savoie to the city of Chambéry, Savoie, which is part of the French Prealps. Major peaks The Bauges have fourt ...

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''. It appears to be of

Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...

origin; and is perhaps related to the name of the Caturiges tribe.

Geography

The mountain range rises between

(south),

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...

(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 Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

, and several hundred kilometres of

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

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

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

s 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 Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

) * 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 Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.

townships and four

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population o ...

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,

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

ish hue of the Chartreuse liqueur, named after the drink.

References

External links

Chartreuse: A Walking GuideA Wiki-Walks guide to some less well known hiking routes in the Chartreuse
{{Authority control Mountain ranges of the Alps Mountain ranges of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Mountains of Isère Mountains of Savoie