Vignemale
Encyclopedia
The Vignemale at 3298 metres, is the highest of the French
Pyrenean
summits, in the border with Spain
(the highest in the whole of the range is Pic Aneto
).
The Vignemale is the name given to the mountain
massif
which actually straddles into Spain. It consists of several distinct summits, the predominant ones being Grand Vignemale or Pique-Longue (3298m), Pointe Chausenque (3204m) and Petit Vignemale (3032m). The Vignemale is also the site of the second largest of the Pyrenean glacier
s (after Aneto's one), the Ossoue (with around 0,6 km2), across which is the "voie normale" or standard route to the summit.
One of its most dramatic aspects is the North Face upon which there are a number of serious ascent routes requiring skill and commitment. Below the North Face is the impressively situated mountain refuge - the Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube. The approach from the north entails a delightful walk up to and around the picturesque Lac de Gaube giving increasingly dramatic views of the mountain.
Almost synonymous with the Vignemale is the name of Count Henry Russell
, an eccentric of the Victorian era
who developed a life-long passion for the mountain.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Pyrenean
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
summits, in the border with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(the highest in the whole of the range is Pic Aneto
Aneto
Aneto is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees and in Aragon, and Spain's third highest mountain, reaching a height of . It lies in the Spanish province of Huesca, the northernmost of all three Aragonese provinces. It forms the southernmost part of the Maladeta massif...
).
The Vignemale is the name given to the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
which actually straddles into Spain. It consists of several distinct summits, the predominant ones being Grand Vignemale or Pique-Longue (3298m), Pointe Chausenque (3204m) and Petit Vignemale (3032m). The Vignemale is also the site of the second largest of the Pyrenean glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s (after Aneto's one), the Ossoue (with around 0,6 km2), across which is the "voie normale" or standard route to the summit.
One of its most dramatic aspects is the North Face upon which there are a number of serious ascent routes requiring skill and commitment. Below the North Face is the impressively situated mountain refuge - the Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube. The approach from the north entails a delightful walk up to and around the picturesque Lac de Gaube giving increasingly dramatic views of the mountain.
Almost synonymous with the Vignemale is the name of Count Henry Russell
Henry Russell (explorer)
Henry Patrick Marie, Count Russell-Killough was one of the pioneers of Pyrenean exploration, known for his obsession with the Vignemale.-Early life:...
, an eccentric of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
who developed a life-long passion for the mountain.