Barre des Écrins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barre des Écrins |
|
|---|---|
The Barre des Écrins and the Glacier Blanc
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,102 m (13,458 ft) |
| Prominence | 2,044 m (6,706 ft) |
| Geography | |
|
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
|
|
| Location | Hautes-Alpes, France |
| State/Province | FR |
| Parent range | Dauphiné Alps |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 25 June 1864 |
| Easiest route | snow/rock climb |
The Barre des Écrins is a very tall mountain in the French Alps. It is the highest peak in the Massif des Écrins and the Dauphiné Alps mountain range. This amazing mountain is part of the Écrins National Park (French: Parc national des Écrins). This park is one of France's ten national parks, protecting nature and wildlife.
Barre des Écrins is special because it is the only mountain in France that is 4,000 m (13,123 ft) or taller outside of the famous Mont Blanc area. Before 1860, when Savoy became part of France, Barre des Écrins was actually the highest mountain in France.
Contents
Where is Barre des Écrins located?
Barre des Écrins is found in the southeast of France. It is in the Hautes-Alpes department, which is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The mountain is specifically located in the area of Pelvoux.
The mountain has two very different sides. The south side is mostly rocky. But the north side is covered in ice! This is because a large glacier called the Glacier Blanc starts there.
Barre des Écrins is surrounded by four different glaciers:
- Glacier Blanc: This glacier is on the north side. It is about 5 km (3.1 mi) long.
- Glacier Noir: You can find its northern part on the southwest side of the mountain. It stretches for about 3 km (1.9 mi).
- Glacier de la Pilatte: This one is on the western side. It is shorter, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) long. Today, it has split into three smaller parts.
- Glacier de Bonne Pierre: This glacier is to the northwest of the mountain. It is also about 3 km (1.9 mi) long.
Who first climbed Barre des Écrins?
The first time someone officially climbed to the top of Barre des Écrins was on June 25, 1864. Three Englishmen made this historic climb: Adolphus Warburton Moore, Horace Walker, and Edward Whymper. They had help from two experienced guides, Michel Croz from Chamonix and Christian Almer from Switzerland.
Later, in July 1870, an American mountain climber named William Auguste Coolidge made another important climb. He was the first to climb directly up the difficult north side of the Barre des Écrins.
Images for kids
-
South face of the Barre (on the right). Below is Coolidge Peak and Le Fifre.
See also
In Spanish: Barre des Écrins para niños
