Alps massif

The Alps are a world-renowned massif, notably thanks to Mont Blanc, its highest peak, the highest peak in France and Western Europe.

The Alps cover a vast part of Europe, stretching across the northern border of Italy, southeastern France, Monaco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, southern Germany, and Slovenia.

There are 82 major Alpine peaks over 4,000 meters in altitude (48 in Switzerland, 38 in Italy, and 24 in France). The mountain passes connecting valleys or countries often exceed 2,000 meters in altitude. The Alps form a 1,200-kilometer barrier between the Mediterranean Sea and the Danube.

A multifaceted massif

The Alps are so vast that they include a large number of very varied "sub-massifs" or valleys - including:

- The Beaufortain
- The Vanoise
- The Queyras
- The Mont-Blanc
- Belledonne
- The Chartreuse
- The Vercors
- Les Ecrins
- L’Oisans
- Le Mercantour

Numerous Alpine parks and reserves

The Alps have three national parks:

- Vanoise National Park (Savoie): The first of France's national parks, declared in 1963 to protect the endangered ibex, the Vanoise National Park stretches between the high valleys of Maurienne and Tarentaise. The park is now home to the largest population of ibex in France, with 1,800 individuals, and has nearly 400 km of marked trails.

- Ecrins National Park (Isère and Hautes-Alpes): Located in the Southern Alps between Gap, Grenoble and Briançon, it is a high mountain park, with the summit of the Barre des Ecrins, its highest point, at 4,102 m, and more than 150 peaks over 3,000 meters in altitude. It is a mecca for mountaineering and hikers who appreciate the network of 700 km of marked trails, the torrents, lakes and glaciers.

- Mercantour National Park (Alpes Maritimes and Alpes de Haute Provence): It is located on the border of the Italian Piedmont, with which it shares nearly 33 km of ridges. It is the last promontory of the Alpine arc to the south before a sharp plunge into the Mediterranean Sea. At the Cime de Gelas, the highest peak in the Mercantour at 3143 m above sea level, you are only 50 km from the sea as the crow flies!

The Alps also have 5 regional natural parks: Massif des Bauges (1995), Chartreuse (1995), Vercors (1970), Queyras (1977) and the Préalpes d’Azur (2012). Not to mention integral reserves (e.g. Lauvitel) or natural reserves (e.g. Cirque du Fer à Cheval, Lac d’Aiguebelette, etc.).

Legendary summits and hikes

The number of Alpine hikes reflects its size: immense! There is something for all tastes and all levels: day trips, hikes lasting several days, treks, tours of a massif, ascents... Not to mention the diversity of landscapes (valleys, plateaus, lakes, glaciers, etc.) and the richness of its fauna and flora.

Some ideas:

- Tour of Mont Viso (3841 m): between France and Italy, this itinerant hike passes through many wild passes and near many lakes.

- Tour of the Belledonne Lakes

- Col de la Vanoise: this pass is located in the heart of the Vanoise massif, facing the Grande Casse. It is easily accessible from the towns of Pralognan-la-Vanoise and Termignon.

- La Vallée des Merveilles (Mercantour): a hike that offers landscapes of colored stones polished by glaciers and the discovery of mysterious rock engravings dating from the Bronze Age.

- Mont Thabor (3178 m) in the Cerces massif

- Mont Aiguille in the Vercors

Before going hiking in the Alps, don't forget to equip yourself properly: backpack, comfortable shoes, water bottles, hiking poles... Discover our range of hiking poles dedicated to the regions and massifs of France, and in particular the model "Massif des Alpes".

Also feel free to consult our article "Choosing your hiking poles".