Crêt de la Neige

Crêt de la Neige is a 1,720 m (5,643 ft) high mountain in the commune of Thoiry. It is the highest peak in the Jura Mountains and the department of Ain in France.

Le Crêt de la Neige in Thoiry (Ain)
Crêt de la Neige in Thoiry (Ain)
Elevation1,720 m (5,643 ft)[1]
Prominence1,267 m (4,157 ft)
Location
LocationAin, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
RangeJura Mountains
Geology
Age of rockMiocene
Climbing
Easiest routeHiking from the Tiocan lookout

It is in the Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park (French: Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura).

Geography

 
Summit of the Crêt de la Neige, with Le Reculet in the background

Crêt de la Neige is between the communes of Lélex (to the northwest) and Thoiry (to the southeast) in the Ain department.

It is found in the Haute Chaîne, the most eastern and highest chain of the French Jura mountains; it is in the Pays de Gex (the Arrondissement of Gex, Ain department), about 17 km (11 mi) to the northwest of the city of Geneva.

The Crêt de la Neige is surrounded by the plain of the Pays de Gex to the east and the Valserine valley (a valley among the Jura mountains formed by the Valserine river) to the west.

From the summit (or near the summit because it is covered with shrubs and trees),[2] it is possible to see Geneva and the Pays de Gex and there is a 360° view over the Lake Geneva, the Valserine valley, La Dôle (a peak of the Jura mountains that is in Switzerland) and the Alps. On a clear day, it is possible to see the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest.

Elevation

In the past, the official elevation given for the Crêt de la Neige was 1,717.6 m (5,635 ft), and so it appears in old maps, only 20 cm (8 in) higher than the near peak of Reculet 1,717.4 m (5,635 ft). But recent studies made by the Institut géographique national (IGN) in Villeurbanne found that the true altitude of the Crêt de la Neige is 1,720 m (5,643 ft) above sea level.

Getting there

The easiest route to get to the Crêt de la Neige is from the Tiocan lookout point that is beyond Thoiry.[2]

Gallery

References

  1. "Crêt de la Neige, France". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Crêt de la Neige". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 10 November 2016.

Other websites