The Glacier Noir ( French for "black glacier") is a glacier in the Massif des Écrins in the French Alps . It is located in the département of Hautes-Alpes .
24-565: Of all the great glaciers in the Oisans region, the Glacier Noir is the one that descends furthest into the valley. This is thanks to favourable topography and the fact that the lower tongue of the glacier is entirely covered with ablation moraine . As a result, it is better screened from direct sunshine than, for example, its neighbour, the Glacier Blanc ("white glacier"). Until at least 1866
48-495: A climbing path runs from the Pré de Madame Carle , above the village of Ailefroide. Measurements are more difficult than on other glaciers as a result of the covering of moraine. In 1965 the glacier was about 5.5 km long from head to snout and had an area of just under 6 km. Due to its covering of moraine, variations in these dimensions are less than those of other glaciers of similar size that are not so covered. The meltwaters of
72-430: Is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . Named after the river Isère , it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019. Its prefecture is Grenoble . It borders Rhône to the northwest, Ain to the north, Savoie to the east, Hautes-Alpes to the south, Drôme and Ardèche to the southwest and Loire to the west. Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during
96-649: Is a region in the French Alps, located in the départements of l' Isère and Hautes-Alpes , and corresponding to the drainage basin of the River Romanche and its tributaries (Eau d'Olle, Lignarre, Sarenne, Vénéon and Ferrand). Between Livet-et-Gavet and Le Bourg-d'Oisans , the Romanche forms a deep gorge. Its geographical definition coincides almost exactly with the former cantons of Le Bourg-d'Oisans (Isère) and La Grave (Hautes Alpes). The Oisans covers parts of
120-601: Is a very touristic region, both for winter and summer sports. Oisans regularly hosts the Tour de France as well as many major sporting events on a European scale (Super-Biker, World of Snowboarding, Skiing World, the Bike Festival, Andros Trophy or the Criterium Cyclist of Dauphiné Libéré). The provincial road 1091 (formerly RN 91 ) is the main access road into this area, beginning in the town of Livet-et-Gavet . In recent years,
144-546: Is also well known. The Vercors Plateau aesthetically dominates the western part of the department. The most populous commune is Grenoble , the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants: Inhabitants of the department are called Isérois (masculine) and Iséroises (feminine). Population development since 1801: The President of the Departmental Council has been Jean-Pierre Barbier of The Republicans (LR) since 2015. Following
168-729: Is fed from two high-altitude firn basins. The northern branch ( branche septentrionale ) is in turn fed from the bowl below the Col des Avalanches , at the foot of Pic Coolidge and the Barre des Écrins , the southwesternmost four-thousander of the Alps. From here it flows below the south face of the Crête de l'Encoula (also: Crête de l'Encula ), a crest that runs from the Barre to the Pointe du Serre Subeyran . The great majority of
192-469: The 2017 Senate election , Isère elected Didier Rambaud ( La République En Marche! ), Guillaume Gontard ( miscellaneous left ), Frédérique Puissat ( The Republicans ), Michel Savin ( The Republicans ) and André Vallini ( Socialist Party ) for the 2017–2023 term. The Grande Chartreuse is the mother abbey of the Carthusian order. It is located 22 km (14 mi) north of Grenoble. As early as
216-571: The 2021 departmental election , the Departmental Council of Isère (58 seats) was composed as follows: In the 2022 legislative election , Isère elected the following representatives to the National Assembly : In 2024 , all the Renaissance and Democratic Movement candidates lost their seats: to La France Insoumise in the 1st and 9th constituencies, and to RN-coalition parties in the 8th and 10th. The other representatives were all reelected. In
240-503: The French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was established from the main part of the former province of Dauphiné . Its area was reduced twice, in 1852 and again in 1967, on both occasions losing territory to the department of Rhône . In 1852 in response to rapid urban development around the edge of Lyon , the (hitherto Isère) communes of Bron , Vaulx-en-Velin , Vénissieux and Villeurbanne were transferred to Rhône . In 1967
264-807: The 13th century, residents of the north and central parts of Isère spoke a dialect of the Franco-Provençal language called Dauphinois , while those in the Southern parts spoke the Vivaro-Alpine dialect of Occitan . Both continued to be spoken in rural areas of Isère into the 20th century. Isère features many ski resorts , including the Alpe d'Huez , Les Deux Alpes , the 1968 Winter Olympics resorts of Chamrousse , Villard de Lans , Autrans . Other popular resorts include Les 7 Laux , Méaudre , Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse , Alpe du Grand Serre and Gresse-en-Vercors . At
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#1732875857537288-528: The Glacier Noir and Glacier Blanc were combined into a single glacial system above the Pré de Madame Carle . But whilst the foot of the Glacier Blanc has currently retreated to a height of around 2,400 m , the snout of the Glacier Noir descends a further 200 metres in height to about 2,200 m . A glacier covered in moraine debris is generally referred to in French as a glacier noir . The Glacier Noir
312-841: The Glacier Noir pass down the Torrent du Glacier Noir , the Gyr , the Gyronde , the Durance and finally the Rhône into the Mediterranean Sea . The glacier may be easily reached on foot from the hut of Refuge Cézanne at the Pré de Madame Carle , where the road from the climber's village of Ailefroide ends in the Vallouise at a large car park. Initially following the path to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc , it bears left where
336-669: The RD1091 has been significantly upgraded, with various ring roads that provide faster access and more enjoyable access to the Oisans. The town of Bourg d'Oisans is the equivalent of the capital of this territory because this town is at the centre of six valleys. The main towns are Bourg d'Oisans , Les Deux Alpes , Livet-et-Gavet and Huez . Is%C3%A8re Isère ( US : / iː ˈ z ɛər / ee- ZAIR , French: [izɛʁ] ; Arpitan : Isera ; Occitan : Isèra , Occitan pronunciation: [iˈsɛɾa] )
360-437: The boundary between the lower basin and upper bowl, which will separate the glacier into distinct lower and upper sections. Currently the combined tongue of ice flows from its junction, descending another good 200 metres in height, and ends beneath the northern foothills of Mont Pelvoux. It is about 400 metres wide at this point and a high and steep lateral moraine towers over it on the left-hand (northern) side, across which
384-640: The department level, Isère is the third-largest ski and winter destination in France, after Savoie and Haute-Savoie . It also hosts Coupe Icare , an annual festival of free flight, such as paragliding and hang-gliding , held at the world-renowned paragliding site at Lumbin . Grenoble has a dozen museums, including its most famous, established in 1798, the Museum of Grenoble . The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), an international research facility in Grenoble,
408-477: The glacier. The arête , which runs over these peaks eastwards to Mont Pelvoux , is also called the Grand Muraille du Glacier Noir . Five summits along this crest ( Ailefroide Central , Pointe Fourastier , Pic Sans Nom, Pointe Puiseux and Pointe Durand ) exceed the 3,900-metre. The two ice streams of the Glacier Noir merge at a height of over 2,400 m . However, the southern arm is about to retreat over
432-508: The junction of both glacial arms before crossing the northern branch to the lateral moraine on the opposite side. The Refuge Temple-Écrins in the Haut Vénéon may be used as a base. As already mentioned, the Glacier Noir and Glacier Blanc used to form a single glacial system. During the Small Ice Age the combined ice mass reached its maximum extent in 1815 and ended roughly at the height of
456-440: The massifs of Belledonne , Taillefer , Grandes Rousses , Arves and Écrins . The highest point in the region is the mountain of Pic Lory , a subpeak of the Barre des Écrins which reaches a height of 4,088 metres, but the most symbolic peak is la Meije which is nicknamed the "Queen of the Oisans". The Oisans is a remarkable territory, thanks to its numerous mountain chains, valleys, rivers, streams and plains. The Oisans
480-452: The paths fork and reaches the lateral moraine of the glacier on which there is a route high above the glacier on that side. From La Bérarde , another alpinist centre in the Écrins Massif, the Col de la Temple offers a high, but comparatively easy crossing into the Vallouise for experienced glacier walkers. The climbing path runs over the southern branch of the Glacier Noir and then makes for
504-462: The present-day Cézanne Hut ( 1,874 m ). About a kilometre further down the valley is the old terminal moraine of Fontfroide , relic of an advance of the Glacier Noir and Glacier Blanc from the time before the 16th century. After the retreat of the glacier, vegetation gradually returned on the flat river meadows and created the majestic landscape of the Pré de Madame Carle . Oisans L' Oisans ( French pronunciation: [wazɑ̃] )
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#1732875857537528-858: The redrawing of local government borders led to the creation of the Urban Community of Lyon (more recently known simply as Greater Lyon or Grand Lyon). At that time intercommunal groupings of this nature were not permitted to straddle departmental frontiers, and accordingly 23 more Isère communes (along with six communes from Ain ) found themselves transferred to Rhône. The affected Isère communes were Chaponnay , Chassieu , Communay , Corbas , Décines-Charpieu , Feyzin , Genas , Jonage , Jons , Marennes , Meyzieu , Mions , Pusignan , Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure , Saint-Laurent-de-Mure , Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu , Saint-Priest , Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon , Sérézin-du-Rhône , Simandres , Solaize , Ternay and Toussieu . Most recently, on 1 April 1971, Colombier-Saugnieu
552-470: The rubble that covers the lower section of the glacier is transported from its northern branch. The southern branch ( branche méridionale ) originates between the faces of the Ailefroide and Pic Coolidge, below the Col de Coste Rouge ( 3,192 m ) and the Col de la Temple ( 3,322 m ). The steep north faces of the Ailefroide, Pic du Coup de Sabre and Pic Sans Nom tower 1,000 to 1,500 metres above
576-505: Was transferred to Rhône. Banners appeared in the commune's three little villages at the time proclaiming Dauphinois toujours ("Always Dauphinois"). Isère includes a part of the French Alps . The highest point in the department is the subpeak Pic Lory at 4,088 metres (13,412 feet), subsidiary to the 4,102 metres (13,458 feet) Barre des Écrins in the adjoining Hautes-Alpes department. The summit of La Meije at 3,988 metres (13,084 feet)
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