Graian Alps
French: Alpes grées, Italian: Alpi Graie
Graian Alps (in red) within the Alps. The borders of the range according to Partizione delle Alpi & SOIUSA
Highest point
Peak	Mont Blanc
Elevation	4,810.45 m (15,782.3 ft)
Coordinates	45°50′1″N 6°51′54″E / 45.83361°N 6.86500°E / 45.83361; 6.86500
Geography
Countries	France Italy Switzerland
Provinces/Regions	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Piedmont Aosta Valley Valais
Range coordinates	45°30′N 7°10′E / 45.500°N 7.167°E / 45.500; 7.167
Parent range	Alps
Borders on	Cottian Alps Dauphiné Alps Savoy Prealps Bernese Alps Pennine Alps Po plain
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny

The Graian Alps (Latin:: Alpes Graiæ  ; French: Alpes grées [alp ɡʁe]; Italian: Alpi Graie [ˈalpi ˈɡraːje]) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps, and the name of an Ancient Roman province.

Etymology

The name Graie comes from the Graioceli Celtic tribe, which dwelled in the area surrounding the Mont Cenis pass and the Viù valley.^[1] Other sources claim that the name comes from the Celtic Graig meaning "rock" or "stone", literally the Rocky Mountains.^[2]

The name of the Antic Rome province comes from the local celtic god Graius.^[3]

Geography

The Graian Alps are located in France (Auvergne-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 Riparia, 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), including the Beaufortain Massif
• 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, including the Gran Paradiso Massif.

Peaks

The main peaks of the Graian Alps are:

Mont Blanc group

Name	metres	feet
Mont Blanc	4,810.45[4]	15,782
Mont Maudit	4,471	14,669
Dôme du Goûter	4,331	14,210
Grandes Jorasses	4,205	13,797
Aiguille Verte	4,127	13,541
Aiguille de Bionnassay	4,066	13,341
Dent du Géant	4,013	13,166
Aiguille de Tré la Tête	3,911	12,832
Aiguille d'Argentière	3,902	12,802
Aiguille de Triolet	3,876	12,717
Aiguille du Midi	3,843	12,609
Tour Noir	3,836	12,586
Aiguille des Glaciers	3,834	12,579
Mont Dolent	3,823	12,543
Aiguille du Chardonnet	3,822	12,540
Aiguille du Dru	3,754	12,316
Dômes de Miage	3,688	12,100
Aiguille du Tour	3,540	11,615
Aiguille du Grépon	3,502	11,489
Aiguille des Charmoz	3,442	11,293
Aiguille du Tacul	3,438	11,280
Pointe d'Orny	3,274	10,742
Mont Favre	3,259	10,693
Tour Sallière	3,227	10,588
Pointe de Léchaud	3,127	10,260
Mont Buet	3,109	10,201
Mont Ruan	3,078	10,099
Roignais	2,995	9,826
Pic de Tenneverge	2,982	9,784
Aiguille du Belvédère (Aigs Rouges)	2,966	9,731
Crammont	2,737	8,980
Pointe des Fours	2,719	8,921
Pointe du Colloney	2,692	8,832
Catogne	2,599	8,527
Mont Joly	2,527	8,291
Brevent	2,525	8,284
Pointe de Sales	2,494	8,183
Aiguille de Varan	2,488	8,163
Aiguille Croche	2,487	8,159
Mont Chétif	2,343	7,687

Central group

Name	metres	feet		Name	metres	feet
Pointe de Charbonnel	3760	12,336		Grande Aiguille Rousse	3482	11,424
Aiguille de la Grande Sassière	3751	12,306		Granta-Parey	3473	11,395
Uia di Ciamarella	3676	12,061		Roc du Moulinet	3469	11,382
Albaron	3638	11,936		Aiguille Pers	3451	11,323
Pointe de Ronce	3618	11,871		Pointe de la Galise	3345	10,975
Levanna	3619	11,874		Pointe de la Traversière	3341	10,962
Bec de l'Invergnan	3608	11,838		Ormelune/Pointe d'Archeboc	3283	10,771
Tsanteleina	3606	11,831		Signal du Mont Iseran	3241	10,634
Bessanèse	3597	11,801		Grand Assaly	3174	10,413
Croce Rossa	3566	11,703		Torre d'Ovarda	3075	10,089
Punta d'Arnas	3540	11,615		Dôme de Val d'Isère	3033	9,951
Rocciamelone	3537	11,605		Pointe de Tierce	2973	9,754
Punta Chalanson	3530	11,582		Uia di Mondrone	2964	9,725
Grande Traversière	3495	11,467		Punta Lunella	2272	7,454
Testa del Rutor	3486	11,438		Monte Civrari	2302	7,553

It also includes Roche Michel at 3429 m.

Passes

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 conservation

The western group contains the Vanoise National Park, established in 1972 and covering 1,250 km² (480 sq mi)^[5] the eastern group contains the Gran Paradiso National Park, the oldest Italian national park.^[6] 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.^[7]

Maps

• 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

See also

• Mont Blanc Massif
• Vanoise Massif
• Swiss Alps
• Mares Peak
• Uja di Calcante

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alps". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 742–743.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Graian Alps.

• Ascents in Gran Paradiso group - Czech and English
• Graian Alps on Summitpost - English