 Mont BlancTHE MOUNTAINS OF FRANCE
This part of Europeaklist is devoted to the mountainous regions of France.
France is a large country by European standards. It has an area of 549,619 square kilometres (212,209 square miles) and has a population of around 61.1 million (2002).
With the exception of the Massif Central in south central France and the Island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, the mountainous regions of France can be found on or near the eastern and southern borders of the country. To the north and west of the Massif Central the land is mainly flat and low-lying, although the peninsula of Brittany jutting into the Atlantic Ocean presents a rugged granite coastline and an interior reaching an altitude in excess of 300m (1000 feet) in places.
Two main geological events have given rise to the upland areas of the country. The first was the Hercynian Orogeny (= mountain-building), which occurred at the end of the Palaeozoic Era (c.300 to 248 million years ago). This created the Hercynian Massif, which stretched across much of the land that was to become Europe. The other event was the Alpine Orogeny, which occurred in the middle of the Tertiary Era (c.50 to 40 million years ago). This was responsible for the uplift of the Alps, Pyrenees, and mountains of Corsica. It also created the folding of the Jura and the faulting of the remains of the Hercynian Massifs (the Vosges and Massif Central), and a volcanic outbreak to the centre and east of the Massif Central. Between these periods of orogeny, erosion wore down the rocks, depositing material in the seas and lakes which had formed between the mountain ranges.
Today there are the remains in France of four parts of the Hercynian Massif (Brittany, Vosges, Massif Central and the tract of high ground connecting the latter two). In between these blocks of hard granite, sandstone and shale are sedimentary basins linked by lowland corridors. To the south-east and south-west lie the much younger and higher folded mountain ranges of the Alps, Jura and Pyrenees.
Hiking in the mountains of France
In France there is a general freedom to roam on all open paths and tracks, and across the high slopes of the mountains. In practice there is little need to go ‘off path’ because a complex network of good paths serves valleys and mountains. The main routes are called Grandes Randonées and given numbers (e.g. GR5).
Most of the mountainous areas of France are provided with mountain refuges. Some of these are owned by French mountaineering clubs (e.g. Club Alpin Français), while others are in private hands. Some are open throughout the year, while others only in the warmer months. Many have a resident warden. Many will be able to provide food and drink to their guests. Telephone numbers of the refuges will be available at local tourist offices. Many refuges in popular areas are booked out many weeks in advance.
Maps
France is a country excellently mapped. The best maps are produced by the Institut de Géographique National (IGN) (website at www.ign.fr). There are maps for the whole country at both 1:100,000 and 1:25,000 scales. For the greater ranges (Alps, Pyrenees and Corsica) the 1:25,000 scale maps have been employed to produce these lists, while 1:100,000 scale has been mainly used for the lower ranges (Vosges, Jura and Massif Central).
The lists give both coordinates (longitude/latitude) and French grid references, which are centred on Paris as referencing point.
Guide books
An excellent selection of hiking and climbing guides in English on the French mountain ranges (and elsewhere in the world) are produced by Cicerone Press, a UK publisher. Their website is at www.cicerone.co.uk.
The Lists
The lists which will be added in forthcoming months to this section of Europeaklist aim eventually to cover all the hill and mountain summits on the French mainland and Corsica which are of at least 150m of prominence.
You will note that some of the lists actually go down to 140m of prominence. The mountains and hills between 140m and 149m form the ‘Subs’. They are included because altitudes given on maps are likely to be accurate to +/- 10m, which means that some of these summits may really be within the classification.
Hiking/climbing the mountains on these lists vary in difficulty from easy strolls to difficult multi-day ascents in which the full panoply of mountaineering skills will be needed. There are, for example, nine summits in the lists of 4000m (13100 ft) or over in altitude. All these have extensive permanent snow cover, as do many of the lower summits. Climbing all the hills and mountains in France which will eventually be listed would represent an undertaking unlikely to be completed in one lifetime!
The lists do, however, present some enticing objectives for mountain walkers who do not wish to become full alpinists. There are many summits on the lists of significant prominence that merely involve putting one foot in front of the other.
Mark TrengoveWales, UK
November 2004 (updated February 2009) |