Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps, and the name of an Ancient Roman province.
Etymology
The name Graie comes from the Graioceli Celtic tribe, which dwelled in the area surrounding the Mont Cenis pass and the Viù valley.Other sources claim that the name comes from the Celtic Graig meaning "rock" or "stone", literally the Rocky Mountains.
The name of the Antic Rome province comes from the local celtic god Graius.
Geography
The Graian Alps are located in France, Italy, and Switzerland.The French side of the Graian Alps is drained by the river Isère and its tributary Arc, and by the Arve. The Italian side is drained by the rivers Dora Riparia, Dora Baltea, Orco and Stura di Lanzo, tributaries of the Po.
The Graian Alps can also be divided into the following four groups:
- the Mont Blanc group, including the Beaufortain Massif
- the Central group
- the Western or French group,
- and the Eastern or Italian group, including the Gran Paradiso Massif.
Peaks
Mont Blanc group
| Name | metres | feet |
| Mont Blanc | 4,810.45 | 15,782 |
| Mont Maudit | 4,471 | 14,669 |
| Dôme du Goûter | 4,331 | 14,210 |
| Grandes Jorasses | 4,205 | 13,797 |
| Aiguille Verte | 4,127 | 13,541 |
| Aiguille de Bionnassay | 4,066 | 13,341 |
| Dent du Géant | 4,013 | 13,166 |
| Aiguille de Tré la Tête | 3,911 | 12,832 |
| Aiguille d'Argentière | 3,902 | 12,802 |
| Aiguille de Triolet | 3,876 | 12,717 |
| Aiguille du Midi | 3,843 | 12,609 |
| Tour Noir | 3,836 | 12,586 |
| Aiguille des Glaciers | 3,834 | 12,579 |
| Mont Dolent | 3,823 | 12,543 |
| Aiguille du Chardonnet | 3,822 | 12,540 |
| Aiguille du Dru | 3,754 | 12,316 |
| Dômes de Miage | 3,688 | 12,100 |
| Aiguille du Tour | 3,540 | 11,615 |
| Aiguille du Grépon | 3,502 | 11,489 |
| Aiguille des Charmoz | 3,442 | 11,293 |
| Aiguille du Tacul | 3,438 | 11,280 |
| Pointe d'Orny | 3,274 | 10,742 |
| Mont Favre | 3,259 | 10,693 |
| Tour Sallière | 3,227 | 10,588 |
| Pointe de Léchaud | 3,127 | 10,260 |
| Mont Buet | 3,109 | 10,201 |
| Mont Ruan | 3,078 | 10,099 |
| Roignais | 2,995 | 9,826 |
| Pic de Tenneverge | 2,982 | 9,784 |
| Aiguille du Belvédère | 2,966 | 9,731 |
| Crammont | 2,737 | 8,980 |
| Pointe des Fours | 2,719 | 8,921 |
| Pointe du Colloney | 2,692 | 8,832 |
| Catogne | 2,599 | 8,527 |
| Mont Joly | 2,527 | 8,291 |
| Brevent | 2,525 | 8,284 |
| Pointe de Sales | 2,494 | 8,183 |
| Aiguille de Varan | 2,488 | 8,163 |
| Aiguille Croche | 2,487 | 8,159 |
| Mont Chétif | 2,343 | 7,687 |
Central group
| Name | metres | feet | Name | metres | feet | |
| Pointe de Charbonnel | 3760 | 12,336 | Grande Aiguille Rousse | 3482 | 11,424 | |
| Aiguille de la Grande Sassière | 3751 | 12,306 | Granta-Parey | 3473 | 11,395 | |
| Uia di Ciamarella | 3676 | 12,061 | Roc du Moulinet | 3469 | 11,382 | |
| Albaron | 3638 | 11,936 | Aiguille Pers | 3451 | 11,323 | |
| Pointe de Ronce | 3618 | 11,871 | Pointe de la Galise | 3345 | 10,975 | |
| Levanna | 3619 | 11,874 | Pointe de la Traversière | 3341 | 10,962 | |
| Bec de l'Invergnan | 3608 | 11,838 | Ormelune/Pointe d'Archeboc | 3283 | 10,771 | |
| Tsanteleina | 3606 | 11,831 | Signal du Mont Iseran | 3241 | 10,634 | |
| Bessanèse | 3597 | 11,801 | Grand Assaly | 3174 | 10,413 | |
| Croce Rossa | 3566 | 11,703 | Torre d'Ovarda | 3075 | 10,089 | |
| Punta d'Arnas | 3540 | 11,615 | Dôme de Val d'Isère | 3033 | 9,951 | |
| Rocciamelone | 3537 | 11,605 | Pointe de Tierce | 2973 | 9,754 | |
| Punta Chalanson | 3530 | 11,582 | Uia di Mondrone | 2964 | 9,725 | |
| Grande Traversière | 3495 | 11,467 | Punta Lunella | 2272 | 7,454 | |
| Testa del Rutor | 3486 | 11,438 | Monte Civrari | 2302 | 7,553 |
It also includes Roche Michel at 3429 m.
Eastern group
| Name | metres | feet | Name | metres | feet | |
| Gran Paradiso | 4061 | 13,324 | Grand Nomenon | 3513 | 11,444 | |
| Grivola | 3969 | 13,022 | Mont Tout Blanc | 3438 | 11,280 | |
| Herbétet | 3778 | 12,396 | Punta Sengie | 3408 | 11,182 | |
| Torre del Gran San Pietro | 3692 | 12,113 | Punta Lavina | 3308 | 10,854 | |
| Ciarforon | 3665 | 12,025 | Rosa dei Banchi | 3164 | 10,381 | |
| Roccia Viva | 3650 | 11,976 | Becca di Nona | 3142 | 10,309 | |
| Becca di Gay | 3623 | 11,887 | Punta Pousset | 3046 | 9,994 | |
| Monte Emilius | 3559 | 11,677 | Monte Colombo | 2848 | 9,344 | |
| Punta Tersiva | 3513 | 11,526 | Monte Marzo | 2750 | 9,023 |
Western group
| Name | metres | feet | Name | metres | feet | |
| Grande Casse | 3855 | 12,648 | Pointe de l'Échelle | 3422 | 11,227 | |
| Mont Pourri | 3779 | 12,398 | Bellecôte | 3417 | 11,211 | |
| Dent Parrachée | 3697 | 12,129 | Pointes de la Gliere | 3386 | 11,109 | |
| Grande Motte | 3653 | 11,985 | Pointe de Méan Martin | 3337 | 10,949 | |
| Dôme de l'Arpont | 3601 | 11,808 | Roche Chevrière | 3252 | 10,669 | |
| Dôme de Chasseforêt | 3586 | 11,765 | Aiguille Rouge | 3227 | 10,584 | |
| Aiguille de Péclet | 3566 | 11,700 | Pointe de la Réchasse | 3223 | 10,575 | |
| Aiguille de Polset | 3538 | 11,608 | Petit Mont Blanc de Pralognan | 2685 | 8809 | |
| Pointe de la Sana | 3436 | 11,273 | Mont Jovet | 2563 | 8409 |
Passes
The main passes of the Graian Alps are shown in the table below. The group in which the pass is located is indicated with "MB" for Mont Blanc group, "C" for Central group, "E" for Eastern group, and "W" for Western group.Nature conservation
The western group contains the Vanoise National Park, established in 1972 and covering the eastern group contains the Gran Paradiso National Park, the oldest Italian national park.Also on the Italian side is located the Parco Regionale del Monte Avic, a nature park of 5,747 ha established by Regione Valle d'Aosta.
Maps
- Italian official cartography ; on-line version:
- French official cartography ; on-line version:
- Swiss official cartography ; on-line version: