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Dauphiné Prealps

Coordinates: 44°46′31″N 5°50′22″E / 44.77528°N 5.83944°E / 44.77528; 5.83944
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Dauphiné Prealps
Préalpes du Dauphiné
Highest point
PeakGrande Tête de l'Obiou
Elevation2,790 m (9,150 ft)[1]
Coordinates44°46′31″N 5°50′22″E / 44.77528°N 5.83944°E / 44.77528; 5.83944
Geography
Dauphiné Prealps (section nr.6) within Western Alps
CountryFrance
RégionRhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
RiversDrac, Durance, Isère and Drôme
Parent rangeAlps
Borders onProvence Alps and Prealps, Dauphiné Alps and Savoy Prealps
Geology
OrogenyAlpine orogeny
Type of rockSedimentary rocks[2]

The Dauphiné Prealps (French: Préalpes du Dauphiné) are a mountain range in the south-western part of the Alps. They are located in Rhône-Alpes and, marginally, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (south-eastern France). Dauphiné Prealps are the central section of the French Prealps.

Etymology

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The Dauphiné (pronounced [dofine]) is a historical region whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes.

Geography

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Administratively the French part of the range belongs to the French departments of Isère, Drôme, Hautes-Alpes and, marginally, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The whole range is drained by the Rhône river.

SOIUSA classification

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According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine section, classified in the following way:[3]

  • Main part = Western Alps
  • Major sector = South Western Alps
  • Section = Dauphiné Prealps
  • Code = I/A-6

Borders

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Dauphiné Prealps' borders are (anticlockwise):

Subdivision

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The Dauphiné Prealps are divided into five Alpine subsections:[3]

Notable summits

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The Grand Veymont in winter

Some notable summits of the range are:

Name metres feet
Grande Tête de l'Obiou 2,790 9,148
Grand Ferrand 2,759 9,049
Pic de Bure 2,709 8,885
Jocou 2,501 8,203
Grand Veymont 2,346 7,694

Notable passes

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Col Bayard, 1,248 m

Some notable passes of the range are:

Name location type elevation (m) elevation (ft)
Col de la Croix Haute Clelles to Lus-la-Croix-Haute road 1,179 3,867
Col Bayard Gap to Grenoble road 1,248 4,093
Col du Noyer Le Noyer to Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy road 1,664 5,458

References

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  1. ^ Highest summit elevation as reported on Géoportail of Institut Géographique National
  2. ^ Préalpes, article on Larousse encyclopedia (on line version:www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie)
  3. ^ a b Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.

Maps

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