Céüse
South facing limestone cliffs of Céüse (the Corniche de Céûse)
Highest point
Elevation2,016 m (6,614 ft)[1]
Prominence1,040 m (3,410 ft)[1]
Coordinates44°30′31″N 5°57′42″E / 44.50861°N 5.96167°E / 44.50861; 5.96167[1]
Naming
English translationflint, pebble
Language of nameFrench
Geography
Céüse is located in France
Céüse
Céüse
Location in France
Parent rangeDauphine Alps
Geology
Type of rockLimestone

Céüse (French: Montagne de Céüse) is a limestone mountain in the Hautes-Alpes département of France near Gap and Sigoyer. The "Pic de Céüse" is at an elevation of 2,016 metres (6,614 ft), and the whole massif is included in the Natura 2000 protected area.[1] The mountain has a distinctive large horseshoe-shaped cliff (the Corniche de Céûse) which contains some of the most extreme sport climbing routes in the world. It is also the site of a ski resort.[2]

Naming

According to Lou Tresor dóu Felibrige, the name "Céüse" comes from the Latin for flint, and also means "flint, pebble" in Occitan.[3]

Geology

The mountain is an example of a perched syncline, which presents as a south-facing horseshoe-shaped limestone cliff.[4]

Ski resort

The northern end of the mountain is the location of a small ski resort, called Ceüze 2000 (or also the Gap Ceuse Ski Resort 2000);[5] it was built after the Second World War and updated in the 1990s, and contains 8 lifts serving 35-kilometers of green, blue, red and black runs, from an elevation of 1,550 metres (5,090 ft) to the peak itself at 2,016 metres (6,614 ft).[5]

Climbing

The southern end of the mountain's long horseshoe-shaped limestone cliffs, the Corniche de Céûse, is the home to one of the world's best rock climbing crags,[2] including several notable extreme sport climbing routes such as Realization/Biographie 9a+ (5.15a), and Bibliographie 9b+ (5.15c).[6]

Its south-facing cliffs have a distinctive blue and ochre colouring, and the climbing is via pocket-marks in the limestone rather than via cracks.[7] The Corniche has over 600 climbing routes from 4a (5.4) to the highest grades in rock climbing, and is situated at an elevation of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft).[7][2] Most of the climbs are single-pitch 25 to 40-metre climbs, with long-run outs often between bolts, however, there are also 200-metre sections with multi-pitch routes.[2]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montagne de Céüse.
  • Buoux, leading limestone rock climbing crag in France
  • Verdon Gorge, leading limestone rock climbing crag in France

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Montagne de Céüse, France". PeakBagger.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Céüse". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Céüse mountain". The Parc des Sérigons. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "Céuze and Petite Ceuze". UndiscoveredMountains.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Ski Resort Gap Ceuze 2000". SKiResortInfo.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Glaister, Mark (August 2015). "Ceuse - Summer Sport Climbing in France". UKClimbing.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  7. 1 2 Berry, Alan (2009). France : Haute Provence. Rockfax. ISBN 9781873341278. Retrieved 25 December 2021.

Further reading

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