View source for French Alps

{{Short description|Portion of the Alps mountain range within France}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name=French Alps
| native_name={{langx|fr|Alpes françaises}}
| photo=Alps aerial 1.jpg
| photo_caption=Aerial photograph of [[Mont Blanc]], the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe
| country= 
| subdivision1_type=French regions
| subdivision1= {{hlist|[[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]|[[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]}}
| borders_on= [[Swiss Alps]], [[Italian Alps]]
| geology= {{hlist|Bündner schist|flysch|molasse}}
| age= Tertiary
| orogeny=Alpine orogeny
| area_km2= 
| length_km=
| length_orientation=
| width_km= 
| width_orientation=
| highest=[[Mont Blanc]]
| elevation_m= 4807.45
| coordinates= {{coord|45|50|01|N|06|51|54|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| map_image= Massif des Alpes map-fr.svg 
| map_caption=Ranges of the French Alps.
}}
The '''French Alps'''<ref>({{langx|fr|Alpes françaises}}; {{langx|frp|Ârpes francêses}}; {{langx|oc|Aups francesas}}; {{langx|lij|Arpi françéixi}})</ref> are the portions of the [[Alps]] [[mountain range]] that stand within [[France]], located in the [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]] and [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the [[Mont Blanc massif]], are shared with [[Switzerland]] and [[Italy]].

At {{convert|4808|m|ft|0}}, [[Mont Blanc]], on the [[France–Italy border]], is the highest mountain in the Alps, and the [[List of highest points of European countries|highest Western European mountain]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mont Blanc shrinks by 45cm in two years |date=2009-11-05 |website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214082228/https://www.smh.com.au/environment/mont-blanc-shrinks-by-45cm-in-two-years-20091106-i0kk.html |archive-date=2023-02-14 |url-status=live |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/mont-blanc-shrinks-by-45cm-in-two-years-20091106-i0kk.html}}</ref>

Notable towns in the French Alps include [[Grenoble]], [[Chamonix]], [[Annecy]], [[Chambéry]], [[Évian-les-Bains]] and [[Albertville]].

==Ranges and summits==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="120" | Chain
!width="160" | Range
!width="160" | Highest summit
!width="150" | Elevation (m/ft)
|-
|| [[Graian Alps]] || [[Mont Blanc Massif]] || [[Mont Blanc]] ||{{Nowrap|{{convert|4807.45|m|ft|0}}}}
|-
|| [[Graian Alps]] || [[Beaufortain Massif]] || [[Roignais]] ||{{convert|2995|m|ft|0.0}}
|-
|| [[Graian Alps]] || [[Lauzière Massif]] || [[Grand Pic de la Lauzière]] ||{{convert|2829|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Graian Alps]] || [[Vanoise Massif]] || [[Grande Casse]] ||{{convert|3855|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Graian Alps]] || [[Graian Alps]] central group|| [[Pointe de Charbonnel]] ||{{convert|3752 |m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Alps]] || [[Belledonne Massif]] || [[Grand Pic de Belledonne]] ||{{convert|2977|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Alps]] || [[Grandes Rousses]] || [[Pic Bayle]] ||{{convert|3465|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Alps]] || [[Arves Massif]] || [[Aiguilles d'Arves]] ||{{convert|3514|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Alps]] || [[Taillefer Massif]] || [[Le Taillefer]] ||{{convert|2857|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Alps]] || [[Massif des Écrins|Écrins Massif]] || [[Barre des Écrins]] ||{{convert|4102|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Cottian Alps]] || [[Massif du Mont-Cenis]] || [[Pointe de Ronce]] ||{{convert|3612|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Cottian Alps]] || [[Massif des Cerces|Cerces Massif]] || [[Grand Galibier]] ||{{convert|3229|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Cottian Alps]] || [[Queyras Massif]] || [[Pic de Rochebrune|Rochebrune Peak]] ||{{convert|3320|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Cottian Alps]] || [[Ubaye Massif]] (Orrenaye) || [[Aiguille de Chambeyron]] ||{{convert|3411|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Maritime Alps]] || [[Massif du Mercantour-Argentera|Mercantour-Argentera Massif]]|| [[Cime du Gélas]] ||{{convert|3143|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Maritime Alps]] || [[Pelat Massif]] || [[Mont Pelat]] ||{{convert|3050|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Maritime Alps]] || [[Massif des Trois-Évêchés]] || [[Tête de l'Estrop]] ||{{convert|2961|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Ligurian Alps]] || [[Ligurian Alps]] || [[Punta Marguareis]] ||{{convert|2651|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Chablais Alps]] || [[Hauts-Forts]] ||{{convert|2464|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Haut-Giffre Massif]] || [[Haute Cime]] ||{{convert|3257 |m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Aiguilles Rouges]] || [[Aiguille du Belvédère]] ||{{convert|2965 |m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Bornes]] || [[Pointe Blanche]] ||{{convert|2438|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Aravis Range]] || [[Pointe Percée]] ||{{convert|2750|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Bauges]] || [[Arcalod]] ||{{convert|2217|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Savoy Prealps]] || [[Chartreuse Mountains]] || [[Chamechaude]] || {{convert|2082|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Prealps]] || [[Vercors Massif]] || [[Grand Veymont]] ||{{convert|2341|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Prealps]] || [[Diois Mountains]] || [[Mont Jocou]] ||{{convert|2051|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[Dauphiné Prealps]]|| [[Dévoluy Mountains]] || [[Grande Tête de l'Obiou]] ||{{convert|2789|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Provence Prealps]] || [[Bochaine]] || [[Mont Céüse]] ||{{convert|2016|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Provence Prealps]]|| [[Digne Prealps]] || [[Les Monges]] ||{{convert|2115|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Provence Prealps]] || [[Baronnies]] || Mont Mare ||{{convert|1603|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Provence Prealps]] || [[Vaucluse Mountains]] || Signal de Saint-Pierre ||{{convert|1256|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Provence Prealps]] || [[Luberon|Luberon Mountains]] || Mourre Nègre ||{{convert|1125|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Maritime Prealps]]|| [[Castellan Prealps]] || Puy de Rent ||{{convert|1996|m|ft|0}}
|-
|| [[French Prealps|Maritime Prealps]] || [[Nice Prealps]] || Pointe des Trois Communes ||{{convert|2080|m|ft|0}}
|- 
|}

[[Image:Chamonix Valley Panorama.jpg|thumb|center|700px|{{center|Panorama of Chamonix Valley}}]]

==Ski areas==
[[Image:Alps of France NASA A2002274 1240 250m.jpg|thumb|right|260px|[[NASA]] photograph of the French Alps (26 October 2002).]]
The largest connected ski areas are:

# [[Les Trois Vallées]] ([[Courchevel]], [[Méribel]], [[La Tania]], [[Brides-les-Bains]], [[Saint-Martin-de-Belleville]], [[Les Menuires]], [[Val Thorens]] and [[Orelle]]): 338  slopes, 600&nbsp;km of [[piste]]s.
# [[Portes du Soleil]] ([[Avoriaz]], [[Châtel, Haute-Savoie|Châtel]], [[Morzine]], [[Les Gets]], [[Saint-Jean d'Aulps]], [[La Chapelle d'Abondance]], [[Abondance, Haute-Savoie|Abondance]], [[Montriond]], Swiss resorts): 288  slopes, 650&nbsp;km of slopes not entirely connected.
# [[Paradiski]] ([[La Plagne]], [[Peisey-Vallandry]], [[Les Arcs]]), [[Champagny-en-Vanoise]]: 239  slopes, 420&nbsp;km of slopes.
# [[Via Lattea]] ([[Montgenèvre]], Italian resorts): 214 slopes, 400&nbsp;km of slopes.
# Évasion Mont-Blanc ([[Combloux]], [[Megève]], [[Saint-Gervais, Isère|Saint-Gervais]], [[Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce]], [[Les Contamines Monjoie]]):  183 slopes, 420&nbsp;km of slopes not entirely connected.
# [[Espace Killy]] ([[Tignes]], [[Val-d'Isère]]): 137  slopes, 300&nbsp;km of slopes.
# Grand Massif ([[Flaine]], [[Les Carroz]], [[Morillon, Haute-Savoie|Morillon]], [[Samoëns]], [[Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval|Sixt]]): 134  slopes, 265&nbsp;km of slopes.
# Les Aravis ([[La Clusaz]], [[Manigod]], [[La Croix Fry]], [[Merdassier]], [[Le Grand-Bornand]]): 133 slopes, 220&nbsp;km of slopes not entirely connected.
# Les Grandes Rousses (L'[[Alpe d'Huez]], [[Vaujany]], [[Auris-en-Oisans]], [[Oz-en-Oisans]], [[Villard-Reculas]]): 117 slopes, 236&nbsp;km of slopes.
# [[Serre Chevalier]]: 111  slopes, 250&nbsp;km of slopes.
# La Forêt Blanche ([[Risoul]], [[Vars, Hautes-Alpes|Vars]]): 104 slopes, 180&nbsp;km of slopes.
# Les Sybelles ([[Le Corbier]], [[La Toussuire]], [[Les Bottières]], [[Saint-Jean-d'Arves]], [[Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves]], [[Saint-Colomban-des-Villards]]): 96  slopes, 310&nbsp;km of slopes.
# [[Valloire]] and [[Valmeinier]]: 83 slopes, 150&nbsp;km of slopes.
# Grand Domaine ([[Valmorel]], [[Saint-François-Longchamp]]): 82 slopes, 150&nbsp;km of slopes
# Espace San Bernardo ([[La Rosière, Savoie|La Rosière]], [[La Thuile, Aosta Valley|La Thuile]] - Italy): 73  slopes, 150&nbsp;km of slopes.
# [[Les Deux Alpes]] and [[La Grave]]: 69  slopes, 220&nbsp;km of slopes. (+ Freeride Zone)

The other large  ski areas are:

* Le Val d'Arly ([[Praz-sur-Arly]], [[Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe]], [[Flumet]]): 150&nbsp;km of slopes.
* L'Espace Cristal ([[Les Saisies]], [[Crest-Voland]]): 80&nbsp;km of slopes
* L'Espace Diamant is a combination of Espace Val d'Arly and Espace Cristal with 185&nbsp;km of slopes
* [[Villard-de-Lans]] et [[Corrençon-en-Vercors]]: 125&nbsp;km of slopes
* [[Valberg, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur|Valberg]] - [[Beuil les Launes]]: 90&nbsp;km of slopes
* Espace Lumière ([[Pra-Loup]], [[Val d'Allos]]): 170&nbsp;km of slopes
* [[Superdévoluy]] - [[La Joue du Loup]]: 100&nbsp;km of slopes
* [[Orcières-Merlette]] 150&nbsp;km of slopes

==Activities==
A range of winter and summer activities are available in the French Alps. In the winter, these include skiing and snowboarding as well as alternatives such as snowshoeing, sledging. There is a range of other activities that happen such as gliding which most happens during the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|title = frenchalps.co.uk - Your website dedicated to information on the French Alps|url = http://frenchalps.co.uk/|website = frenchalps.co.uk|access-date = 2016-01-27|language = en-US|archive-date = 2016-02-07|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207212534/http://frenchalps.co.uk/|url-status = live}}</ref> Summer activities include hiking, mountaineering, biking and rock climbing.<ref>{{Cite web|title = French Alps Mountain Activities {{!}} frenchalps.co.uk|url = http://frenchalps.co.uk/french-alps-mountain-activities|website = frenchalps.co.uk|access-date = 2016-01-27|language = en-US|archive-date = 2016-03-08|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160308203311/http://frenchalps.co.uk/french-alps-mountain-activities/|url-status = live}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<Gallery caption="" widths="190px" heights="190px" perrow="4">
Image:Mont Blanc oct 2004.JPG|[[Mont Blanc]] (4,810 m)
Image:Aiguille du Dru 3.jpg|[[Aiguille du Dru]] (3,754 m)
Image:Aiguille Verte ateabutnoe2.jpg|[[Aiguille Verte]] (4,122 m)
Image:Mer de Glace, Aiguille du Géant et Grandes Jorasses.jpg|[[Mer de Glace]], [[Dent du Géant]] (4,013 m) and [[Grandes Jorasses]] (4,208 m) in [[Chamonix]] (c. 1890)
Image:00 Saint-Gervais-les-Bains - TMB - JPG2.jpg|[[Tramway du Mont-Blanc]], at Bellevue Station (1,794 m) in [[Saint-Gervais-les-Bains]]
Image:00 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc - JPG1.jpg|[[Jacques Balmat]] at the side of [[Horace-Benedict de Saussure]], "The Father of Alpinism", in a monument erected at [[Chamonix]]
Image:Grand Capucin, 2010 July.JPG|[[Grand Capucin]] (3,838 m) and its 400-meter vertical face
Image:Vanoise.jpg|[[Vanoise National Park]]
Image:Olan Ecrins National Park.jpg|[[Écrins National Park]]
Image:Bouqetin male.jpg|[[Alpine ibex]] in [[Aussois]], [[Savoie]]
Image:YvoireFlowers.JPG|Chalet in the medieval city of [[Yvoire]]
Image:Palais de l'Isle - prisons.jpg|[[Palais de l'Isle]] in [[Annecy]]
</Gallery>

==See also==
* [[La Grande Odyssée]]
* [[1924 Winter Olympics]]
* [[1968 Winter Olympics]]
* [[1992 Winter Olympics]]
* [[2030 Winter Olympics]]
* [[List of highest paved roads in Europe]]
* [[List of mountain passes#Europe|List of mountain passes]]
* [[List of national parks in the Alps]]
* [[List of ski areas and resorts in Europe]]

==References==
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category|Alps of France}}
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Raoul Blanchard (1938–1956), ''Les Alpes Occidentales''. Paris: Édition Arthaud. <small>(French)</small>
* Roger Frison-Roche (1964), ''Les montagnes de la terre''. Paris: Flammarion. <small>(French)</small>
* Sergio Marazzi (2005), ''Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA''. Pavone Canavese (TO): Priuli & Verlucca editori. {{ISBN|978-88-8068-273-8}} <small>(Italian)</small>
* Sergio Marazzi, [http://www.fioridimontagna.it/it/soiusa/Artic-11p-AtlOrAlpi-SOIUSA.pdf  ''La "Suddivisione orografica internazionale unificata del Sistema Alpino" (SOIUSA)''] - article with maps and illustrations, PDF <small>(Italian)</small>

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:French Alps| ]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of the Alps]]
[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in France|Alps]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]