- Etymology
- Geography Main summits Main passes With road Without road Main canyons Main trays Main karst areas
- Geology
- Winter sports resorts
- Environment
- Miscellaneous
- References
- External links
{{Other uses|Chartreuse (disambiguation){{!}}Chartreuse}}The Chartreuse Mountains ({{lang-fr|massif de la Chartreuse}}, {{IPA-fr|ʃaʁ.tʁøːz|lang}}) is a mountain range in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble in the south to the Lac du Bourget in the north. It is part of the French Prealps, which continue as the Bauges to the north and the Vercors to the south. One of the larger cities in the Chartreuse Mountains is Voiron (Isère). 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, named after the drink. EtymologyThe name Chartreuse is derived from the village now known as Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, earlier Catorissium, Cantourisa, Caturissium, and Chatrousse.[1] It appears to be of Gaulish origin;[2] and is perhaps related to the name of the Caturiges tribe.[3] GeographyThe mountain range rises between Grenoble (south), Chambéry (north), Voiron and Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (west) and Grésivaudan (Isère valley, east) Main summitsSummits of the Chartreuse Mountains include: - Chamechaude, {{convert|2082|m|ft|0}}
- Dent de Crolles, {{convert|2062|m|ft|0}}
- Les Lances de Malissard {{convert|2045|m|ft|0}}
- Grand Som, {{convert|2026|m|ft|0}}
- Dôme de Bellefont {{convert|1975|m|ft|0}}
- Piton de Bellefont {{convert|1958|m|ft|0}}
- Mont Granier, {{convert|1933|m|ft|0}}
- La Grande Sure, {{convert|1920|m|ft|0}}
- Le Charmant Som {{convert|1867|m|ft|0}}
- Le Sommet du Pinet ou le Truc {{convert|1867|m|ft|0}}
- Les Rochers de Chalves {{convert|1845|m|ft|0}}
- Rocher de Lorzier {{convert|1838|m|ft|0}}
- Dent de l'Ours {{convert|1820|m|ft|0}}
- Le Petit Som {{convert|1772|m|ft|0}}
- La Pinéa {{convert|1771|m|ft|0}}
- Le Mont Outheran {{convert|1673|m|ft|0}}
- Les Grands Crêts {{convert|1489|m|ft|0}}
- L'Écoutoux {{convert|1406|m|ft|0}}
- Dent du Chat, {{convert|1390|m|ft|0}}
- Le mont Saint-Eynard {{convert|1358|m|ft|0}}
- Le Néron {{convert|1298|m|ft|0}}
- La Scia {{convert|1791|m|ft|0}}
- Le Rachais {{convert|1050|m|ft|0}}
Main passesPasses 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 trays Trays of the Chartreuse Mountains include : - Plateau des Petites Roches
- Plateau du Grand-Ratz
Main karst areas Karst areas of the Chartreuse include : - Réseau de l'Alpe (l'Alpe network)
- Système du Granier
- Dent de Crolles
GeologyThe lithology is dominated by limestone, and several hundred kilometres of cave passages lie beneath the hills, including the world-famous 60 km long Dent de Crolles system. Winter sports resortsChartreuse winter sports resorts include : - Le Désert d'Entremont, where the use of snowshoes has been particularly developed
- Granier en Chartreuse
- Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse and Le Planolet
- Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse
- Col de Porte {{convert|1326|m|ft|0}}
- Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse
- La Ruchère (cross-country skiing)
- 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 townships and four Savoie townships.
MiscellaneousThe Chartreuse Mountains gave their name to: - The monastery of the Grande Chartreuse, head of the Carthusian order
- The Chartreuse liquor, manufactured under the monks' supervision.
- The color chartreuse, with the greenish hue of the Chartreuse liqueur.
References1. ^Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1888 s.v.
2. ^Juan Luis García Alonso, Continental Celtic Word Formation: The Onomastic Data, p. 42
3. ^Robert Ellis, A Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps, 1853, [https://books.google.com/books?id=QzUBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA174 p. 174]
External links{{Commons category|Chartreuse|Chartreuse Mountains}}- Chartreuse: A Walking Guide
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109072411/http://pistehors.com/hiking/wiki/Chartreuse/ A Wiki-Walks guide to some less well known hiking routes in the Chartreuse]
{{coord|45|21|N|5|50|E|display=title}} 4 : Mountain ranges of the Alps|Mountain ranges of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes|Mountains of Isère|Mountains of Savoie |