Moucherotte | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,901 m (6,237 ft) [1] |
Coordinates | 45°08′52″N05°38′21″E / 45.14778°N 5.63917°E |
Geography | |
Location | Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France |
Parent range | Vercors Plateau |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Hike |
Le Moucherotte (1901 metres) is the easternmost peak of the Vercors Massif, and also the northern culmination of the long ridge that runs along the eastern edge of the Vercors high plateau, and overlooks the city of Grenoble. The mountain is divided between the communes of Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, Lans-en-Vercors, Seyssins and Claix. [1]
Similar to the rest of the Vercors range, the Moucherotte is largely composed of limestone. At the foot of Moucherotte, (bottom right in photo) there are three rocks, known as the Three Maidens, which were used in the resistance during the second world war by the maquis of Saint-Nizier-of-Moucherotte.
The southern slopes and ridges of the Moucherotte extend to the Col de l'Arc, with three consecutive secondary peaks, called "la Croix des Ramées" (the Cross of Ramées), "du Grand Cheval" (the Great Horse, 1827 metres) and "du Pic Saint-Michel" (the peak of Saint Michael, 1966 metres). [1]
The Moucherotte is home to a variety of fauna, including chamois, mountain sheep, and deer. The summit is covered in grass, and loosely wooded.
There was once a cable car, built by the company Applevage, which connected the village of Saint-Nizier Moucherotte to the summit, where there was also a hotel, l'Ermitage (the Hermitage). [2] Following first financial difficulties and then vandalism, the hotel closed permanently in the mid-1970s. [2] The uniqueness and outstanding natural beauty of the location attracted the stars of the era, and it served as the setting for the filming of some scenes from the movie "La Bride sur le cou" (The Bride of the neck), with Brigitte Bardot; [2] the lead actress stayed at the hotel longer than expected, as access was cut off due to a snowstorm. The stately hotel, abandoned and left in ruins, was finally demolished at the start of the twenty-first century to return the site to its original beauty. [2] At the same time, the derelict gondola station was also demolished. Today, there is almost no trace of its past. [2]
During the 1968 Winter Olympics, the ski jumping competition was held on a 90-metre springboard, which is still in place on the northern foothills of the Moucherotte. However, it has seen no use since the late 1980s. [3]
There are several conventional methods of ascent:
Isère is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019. Its prefecture is Grenoble. It borders Rhône to the northwest, Ain to the north, Savoie to the east, Hautes-Alpes to the south, Drôme and Ardèche to the southwest and Loire to the west.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had a population of 8,640.
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy won three gold medals in all the alpine skiing events.
The Vercors Massif is a range in France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the départements of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from which it is separated by the rivers Drac and Isère. The cliffs at the massif's eastern limit face the city of Grenoble.
Mont Aiguille is a mountain in the Vercors Massif of the French Prealps, located 58 km (36 mi) south of Grenoble, in the commune of Chichilianne, and the département of Isère. The mountain, known as one of the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné, is a relatively flat limestone mesa surrounded by steep cliffs. The mountain lies within an area designated in 1970 as the Vercors Regional Natural Park. Mont Aiguille's limestone cliffs, especially on the northwest side, are popular with climbers. Its first climb in 1492 was said to mark the birth of mountaineering.
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Villard-de-Lans is a commune in the Isère department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. The town is also situated in the Vercors Massif. It was the administrative centre of the eponymous canton until the departmental elections of 2015. After the elections, Villard-de-Lans and the communes of its former canton were all incorporated into the new canton of Fontaine-Vercors. The town remains the seat of the Community of Communes in the Vercors Massif (CCMV).
The arrondissement of Grenoble is an arrondissement of France in the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has 263 communes. Its population is 738,149 (2016), and its area is 4,398.7 km2 (1,698.3 sq mi).
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Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte is a commune in the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,083.
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