Mont Aiguille
| Mont Aiguille | |
|---|---|
Mont Aiguille (right)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,085 m (6,841 ft) |
| Prominence | 465m |
| Coordinates | 44°50′31″N 05°33′09″E / 44.84194°N 5.55250°ECoordinates: 44°50′31″N 05°33′09″E / 44.84194°N 5.55250°E |
| Geography | |
 Mont Aiguille
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| Location | Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France |
| Parent range | Vercors Plateau |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1492 by Antoine de Ville |
| Easiest route | Basic rock climb |
Mont Aiguille (2,085 m (6,841 ft)) is a mountain in the Vercors Plateau 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 1985 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.
Mont Aiguille is a mesa eroded from the Vercors Plateau in the drainage basin of the Rhône. It is surrounded by steep cliffs and has a height of 2,085 metres (6,841 ft) and a clean prominence of 465 m (1,526 ft). The surrounding terrain is difficult enough to warrant a technical climb as the easiest method of ascent. The mountain is capped with meadows botanically similar to those on the Vercors High Plateau, but beneath the cliffs there are extensive forests. The mountain lies within the Vercors Regional Natural Park and is in the département of Isère. The nearest access by rail is in the village of Saint-Martin-de-Clelles and by road is from the north via the Col de La Bâtie.
Geomorphologically, the mountain is a mesa-like outlier, that is to say, the remains of a plateau that has been otherwise eroded to leave only a single pillar of rock - weaker or fractured rocks (the so-called Jasneuf fault) between the current summit and the Vercors high plateau were eroded over time by over 400 metres, leaving the peak standing on its own. This has resulted in several unique features of Mont Aiguille, including the cliffs, which are almost identical to those on the eastern edge of the Vercors Plateau such as those on the edge of the Grand Veymont, which is the highest point of the range. Another feature resulting from this is the presence of meadows on the summit plateau, which are similar to those to the west on the rest of the Vercors plateau.
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Wikipedia