Cime du Gélas

Cime du Gélas (Italian: Monte Gelàs) is a 3,143 m high mountain on the boundary between France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region) and Italy (province of Cuneo). It is part of the Maritime Alps.

Cime du Gélas
Monte Gelàs
Highest point
Elevation3,143 m (10,312 ft)
Prominence669 m (2,195 ft)[1]
ListingAlpine mountains above 3000 m
Coordinates44°07′30″N 7°23′20″E
Geography
Parent rangeMaritime Alps
Climbing
First ascent1864 by Paolo di Saint-Robert

It is the highest peak of the Mercantour National Park, while on the Italian side it is included in the Maritime Alps Natural Park. Geologically, it is part of the Mercantour-Argentera massif, and is mostly formed by granitoid gneiss. The peak is composed of two smaller ones, divided by a gorge; the highest peak is the northern one, which is topped by a cross built here by priests from Cuneo.

The mountain's name derives from the glaciers which occupy its northern slopes, which have however reduced substantially during the late 20th century.

Monte Gelas and nearby summits from the road to lake Rovina

References

  1. Cime du Gélas, France/Italy, www.peakbagger.com (accessed on April 2014)

Maps

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.