Dauphiné Alps

The Belledonne range rises east of the Isère valley, stretching from the Romanche towards the Arc. Its granite and gneiss ridges approach three thousand metres, with steep slopes and high basins separating the valleys below. Snow and mountain streams feed the rivers on either side. The long chain forms a formidable wall above the Grésivaudan, broken only by high passes through its rocky crest.