Barre des Écrins

Barre des Ecrins with Dôme de Neige (right) and Barre Noire (left).

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The Barre des Ecrins is the highest peak of the Ecrins Massif, Les Ecrins massif or Pelvoux designated mountain range in the French Dauphiné Alps. With a height of 4102 m, it is not only the southernmost and westernmost four peaks of the Alps, but one of the most prominent and most dominant peaks in the Alps. Greater heights can be achieved in the Mont Blanc massif was not until more than 100 km away; the Vertical separation - measured over the Col du Lautaret - is more than 2,000 meters. It is therefore, in terms of dominance and prominence to the 3rd or 12th place in the Alps. The Barre is also the highest peak in the middle of the Ecrins National Park established in 1973 south of the ski resort of La Grave. It is the border mountain between the Isère and Hautes -Alpes. The boundary runs from north to south over the Dôme de Neige des Écrins and bends at Pic Lory south to the Col des Avalanches ( 3479 m ) from. The main summit itself lies on the territory of the department of Hautes -Alpes in the Provence- Alpes -Cote d' Azur on the border Isere department ( Rhone-Alpes region ).

The Barre des Ecrins rises from four surrounding glaciers, which are best known of the long Blanc Glacier on the north side and the scree-covered Glacier Noir on the southeast side. The rough mountain range around the mountain is of German climbers (but not in France) called skin - Dauphine and is one of the wildest areas in the Alps dar.

Dôme de Neige and Pic Lory are secondary summit of minor importance.

• Nevertheless, the 4015 m high Dôme de Neige des Écrins is often addressed as a goal, especially the magical four- thousand -meter mark is exceeded and the narrow Gratübergang not everyone is on the main summit thing. He is sometimes referred to as winter summit (it can be climbed to its highest point with touring). In contrast to the Dôme de Neige Pic Lory in the top 82 scoring list of four thousand was included in the Alps to UIAA classification. His saddle height - measured via the Breche Lory, which separates him from the bar - is 41 meters.
• At the 4086 m high Pic Lory unite the three great ridges of the Barre des Ecrins. The Pic is exceeded during the first ascent of the main summit on the " Normal ".

This normal route leads from Ailefroide in the southeast of the mountain to the Refuge des Ecrins, 3170 m, above the Glacier Blanc and on over the glacier to the right base of the wall just below the Col des Ecrins, 3367 m. From there you cross the glaciated summit edge between columns and seracs from bottom right to top left, before you turn, turns to the right against the headwall. The highest point is today climbed the last few meters not on the north wall, but on the west ridge and the Pic Lory. The descent leads either over the Glacier Blanc back to Ailefroide or via the Col des Ecrins down to the Glacier de Bonne Pierre and on to La Bérarde. More, however, significantly more challenging climbs lead from the Glacier Noir on the south wall rib up to the Pic Lory or the Refuge Temple Ecrins over the Col des Avalanches in the Breche Lory between Dôme de Neige and the main summit.

The Barre des Ecrins was Adolphus Warburton Moore, Horace Walker and Edward Whymper - climbed on 25 June 1864, the direct north face for the first time - along with their guides Christian Almer and Michel Croz. The first winter ascent led D. Armand- Delille by on 19 February 1926.