Graian Alps
The Graian Alps (Latin language, Latin:: ''Alpes Graiæ'' ; ; ) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps, and the name of an Roman province, Antic Rome province.
Etymology
The name ''Graie'' comes from the ''Graioceli'' Celts, Celt ...
Geonames.org (cc-by)
GeoNames (or GeoNames.org) is a user-editable geographical database available and accessible through various web services, under a Creative Commons attribution license. The project was founded in late 2005.
The GeoNames dataset differs from, b ...
post updated 2016-02-18; database download on 2017-02-07 It is located in
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 ...
, the northeastern part of the country, very close to the Italian border and 500 km southeast of Paris. Roche Michel has an elevation of 3,406 meters above sea level ote 2or 3,429m per
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...
data.
Geography
Roche Michel is a mountain peak in the
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps (Latin language, Latin:: ''Alpes Graiæ'' ; ; ) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps, and the name of an Roman province, Antic Rome province.
Etymology
The name ''Graie'' comes from the ''Graioceli'' Celts, Celt ...
in
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 ...
, very close to the Italian border.
The land around Roche Michel is mostly mountainous. ote 3The highest point in the area is Pointe de Charbonnel, 3,752 meters above sea level, 5.8 km northeast of Roche Michel. ote 4 To the North is Pointe des Fallets (3,226m) and to the West Pointe du Lamet (3,504m) and to the Northwest Pointe de la Haie (3452m), which surround and enclose the Glacier de Roche Michel in a depression.
In the region around Roche Michel, mountains, and ice are very common. ote 5while the surrounding area is almost covered in mixed forest.
The nearest larger town is
Horace Bénédict de Saussure
Horace Bénédict de Saussure (; 17 February 1740 – 22 January 1799) was a Genevan geologist, meteorologist, physicist, mountaineer and Alpine explorer, often called the founder of alpinism and modern meteorology, and considered to be the f ...
in 1780.
In November 2010, 3 hikers were killed in an avalanche during their attempt to climb Roche Michel.
Access
Access is either from the Southeast or via a very long itinerary from the Southwest. It requires good mountaineering skills, in an environment without trails.
For access via Mont Cenise from the SW the minimum time required is around 8 hours only to 3,253m, considerably longer to the peak of Roche Michel and various descent variants. The climb starts at Mont Cenise via Rifugio Stellina, passing the Baraccon de Chamois cottages (2655m). When the trail continues downhill, one crosses a stream. Just before the Lamet cottages, one starts to climb in Northeasterly direction over steep meadows to reach a ridge at 2,500m. The steep ridge leads into the upper part of Pian Ciardun, following the grassy slopes that then open into a field of debris and boulder towards the base of the wall of 3,253m. One climbs the ridge in Northwesterly direction to reach the highest peak marked with a stone cairn.
Notes
# Correct position based on height data (DEM 3") from Viewfinder Panoramas.
# Calculated from height data (DEM 3") from Viewfinder Panoramas.
# Calculated from the intersection of all height data (DEM 3") from Viewfinder Panoramas, within a 10 kilometer radius.
# The point that is highest above the local horizon, according to the elevation data of GeoNames.
# Less than 20 kilometers away compared to the average density of Earth, according to GeoNames.