Grande Casse
| Grande Casse | ||
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 View over the valley basin of Pralognan (Vallée de la Glière) to the Grande Casse |
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| height | 3855 m | |
| location | Savoy department , France | |
| Mountains | Vanoise massif , Graian Alps | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 24 '19 " N , 6 ° 49' 39" E | |
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| First ascent | August 8, 1860 by William Mathews / Michel Croz and E. Favre | |
| Normal way | Grands Couloir from Refuge du Col de la Vanoise | |
| particularities | highest mountain in the Vanoise massif | |
The Grande Casse is with a height of 3855 meters the highest mountain in the Vanoise massif , a subgroup of Graian Alps in the French department of Savoie . It is located in the heart of the Vanoise National Park , near the village of Pralognan-la-Vanoise , which is about 25 km southeast of the next town of Moûtiers . The Grande Casse has a steep north face, 600 m high. The other sides of the mountain are flatter and mostly made up of rubble. A high ridge connects it with the neighboring summit of the Grande Motte . It forms the watershed between the Tarentaise in the north and the Maurienne in the south.
Ascent
Despite its height, the Grande Casse has a relatively easy normal route. Climbers usually start at Les Grands Couloirs glacier and climb to the summit via the southwest side. The north face offers an extreme ski run.
The first ascent was carried out by William Mathews and the mountain guides Michel Croz and E. Favre on August 8, 1860 over the southwest flank. The north face was climbed for the first time on August 6, 1933 by the Italians Aldo Bonacossa and L. Binaghi.
The Refuge du Col de la Vanoise (formerly Refuge Félix Faure) (2,516 m), which serves as the starting point for the normal route, is located on the Col de la Vanoise .
