Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Graian Alps

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Peak
  
Mont Blanc

Highest point
  
Mont Blanc

Passes
  
Mont Cenis

Orogeny
  
Alpine orogeny

Country
  
Italy

Parent range
  
Alps

Graian Alps wwwsummitpostorgimagesoriginal823268JPG

Elevation
  
4,810.45 m (15,782.3 ft)

Countries
  
France, Italy and Switzerland

States/Provinces
  
Rhône-Alpes, Piedmont, Aosta Valley and Valais

Borders on
  
List Cottian Alps Dauphiné Alps Savoy Prealps Bernese Alps Pennine Alps Po plain

Mountains
  
Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso, Rocciamelone, Grandes Jorasses, Aiguille de la Grande Sassière

La tresenta 3609m western alps graian alps gran paradiso group


The Graian Alps (Italian: Alpi Graie [ˈalpi ˈɡraːje]; French: Alpes grées [alp ɡʁe]) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps.

Contents

Map of Graian Alps, 11010 Valsavarenche, Aosta Valley, Italy

Alpi graie graian alps


EtymologyEdit

The name Graie comes from the Graioceli Celtic tribe, which dwelled in the area surrounding the Mont Cenis pass and the Viù valley. Other sources claim that the name comes from the Celtic "Graig" meaning rock/stone, literally the Rocky Mountains

GeographyEdit

The Graian Alps are located in France (Rhône-Alpes), Italy (Piedmont and the Aosta Valley), and Switzerland (western Valais).

The French side of the Graian Alps is drained by the river Isère (Tarentaise valley) and its tributary Arc (Maurienne valley), and by the Arve. The Italian side is drained by the rivers Dora Baltea, Orco and Stura di Lanzo, tributaries of the Po.

The Graian Alps can also be divided into the following four groups:

  • the Mont Blanc group (north of the Little St Bernard Pass)
  • the Central group (the watershed between the Little St Bernard Pass and the Col du Mont Cenis)
  • the Western or French group,
  • and the Eastern or Italian group.
  • PeaksEdit

    The main peaks of the Graian Alps are:

    PassesEdit

    The main passes of the Graian Alps are shown in the table below. The group in which the pass is located is indicated with "MB" for Mont Blanc group, "C" for Central group, "E" for Eastern group, and "W" for Western group.

    Nature conservationEdit

    The western group contains the Vanoise National Park, established in 1972 and covering 1250 km²; the eastern group contains the Gran Paradiso National Park, the oldest Italian national park. Also on the Italian side is located the Parco Regionale del Monte Avic, a nature park of 5,747 ha established by Regione Valle d'Aosta.

    MapsEdit

  • Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it
  • French official cartography (Institut Géographique National - IGN); on-line version: www.geoportail.fr
  • Swiss official cartography (Swiss Federal Office of Topography - Swisstopo); on-line version: map.geo.admin.ch
  • References

    Graian Alps Wikipedia