Mont Granier

Mont Granier (1,933m) is a limestone mountain located between the départements of Savoie and Isère in France. It lies in the Chartreuse Mountains range of the French Prealps between the towns of Chapareillan and Entremont-le-Vieux. Its east face overlooks the valley of Grésivaudan and Combe de Savoie, and the north face overlooks Chambéry. At 900 meters tall, Mont Granier has one of the highest cliffs in France.

Mont Granier
Highest point
Elevation1,933 m (6,342 ft)
Coordinates45°27′53″N 05°55′31″E 
Geography
Mont Granier
Location in the Alps
LocationSavoie and Isère, France
Parent rangeChartreuse Mountains
Topographic map of Mont Granier

Landslides

Catastrophic 1248 Landslide

In the year 1248, between November 24–25, a mass of limestone resting on marls slid into the valley, causing a massive landslide that destroyed many villages and caused over a thousand casualties, although the numbers are still debated.[1][2] This event created the sheer 700 m north face of the mountain.

Five villages were partly or completely destroyed by the avalanche:

  • Cognin
  • Vourey
  • Saint-André
  • Granier
  • Saint-Pérange (also called Saint-Péran)

Two villages were partially destroyed:

The 1248 Landslide was one of the biggest and deadliest landslides in Europe.

January 9, 2016, Landslide

In the night of between January 8-9, 2016, a part of the northwest pillar crumbled towards Entremont-le-Vieux, where residents woke up at 5 in the morning. The collapse was of about 70,000 cubic meters of rock. The last debris were stopped by trees within 300 m of the closest houses, lying in the hamlets of Brancaz and Tencovaz.

Activities
The cave of Balme à Collomb.

It is a popular spot for hiking, caving, rock climbing, and BASE jumping. The mountain contains the cave system le Systeme du Granier, which is over 55 kilometres (34 mi) long, and 564 metres (1,850 ft) deep.[3]

On November 13, 1988, cavers Pierre Guichebaron and Marc Papet discovered an extension to the Balme à Collomb cave on the west side of the mountain at an altitude of 5,577 feet (1,700 meters) that contained the skeletons of over 1,000 cave bears that date between 24,000 and 45,000 years.

Around the base of Mont Granier are many vineyards that produce the Apremont and Abymes appellations. These wines are made from the white Jacquère grape, seldom used outside Savoie.

The Col du Granier (1,134 m.) crosses the ridge to the north-west of the mountain.

References
  1. de Blasio, Fabio Vittorio (2011). Introduction to the Physics of Landslides. Springer. p. 161. ISBN 978-94-007-1121-1.
  2. "Geomorphic impacts of large and rapid mass movements: a review". Geomorphologie.revues.org. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  3. "World's Longest Caves". Bob Gulden. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
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