Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Dents du Midi
The Dents du Midi (French pronunciation: [dɑ̃ dy midi]; French: "teeth of the South") are a three-kilometre-long mountain range in the Chablais Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Overlooking the Val d'Illiez and the Rhône valley to the south, they face the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir, and are part of the geological ensemble of the Giffre Massif. Their seven peaks are, from north-east to south-west: the Cime de l'Est, the Forteresse, the Cathédrale, the Éperon, the Dent Jaune, the Doigts and the Haute Cime. They are mainly composed of limestone rock, with gritty limestone rock in the upper parts.
The Dents du Midi are accessible from Champéry, les Cerniers, Mex, Salvan and Vérossaz, but have been climbed only since the end of the 18th century. A footpath around the Dents du Midi has existed since 1975. The mountain range represents a local symbol and is often used to promote the Val d'Illiez and various brands and associations in the region.
The first name of the Dents du Midi was "Alpe de Chalen" ("alpine pasture of Chalen"), dating from 1342. It was later transformed into Chalin and which gave its name to a glacier, a hamlet and a mountain refuge. The term "dent de Midy" was first mentioned in 1656 in the book Helvetia antiqua et nova by pastor Jean-Baptiste Plantin. During the 19th century several names were used. In writing, the most common were "la dent du Midi" or "la dent de Midi, but the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used "dents de Tsallen" or "dents de Zallen", from the Tsalin patois word meaning "high bare pasture". The name "Dents du Midi" ("teeth of midday" some have it "teeth of south")[citation needed] seems to come from the fact that during the 20th century, the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used the massif to tell the time. This theory is supported by the old name of the Dent de Bonavau, to the south-east, which was called "Dent-d'une-heure" ("tooth of one o'clock") on maps published in 1928.
The Cime de l'Est (eastern peak) was called "Mont de Novierre" before 1636, then, after a landslide, "Mont Saint-Michel" in honour of the Archangel Michael and finally "dent Noire" ("black tooth") until the first maps. Five of the summits had no names at the time. At the end of the 19th century, the names Forteresse (Fortress), Cathédrale (Cathedral), Éperon (Spur) and Dent Jaune (Yellow Tooth) appeared after the first ascents, although the Éperon and the Dent Jaune still bore the names "Dent Ruinée" (ruined tooth) and "Dent Rouge" (red tooth) on several maps until around 1915. In that year, the "Doigt de Champéry" (Champéry's finger) and the "Doigt de Salanfe" (Salanfe's finger) were grouped together under a common name and became Les Doigts ("the fingers"). The Haute Cime also had several names: "Cime de l'Ouest" (west peak), "Dent du Midi" (tooth of midday), "Dent de Tsallen" (tooth of Tsallen) and "Dent de Challent" (tooth of Challent).
The Dents du Midi are situated on the border between the communes of Val-d'Illiez and Evionnaz. The north face rises above the Val d'Illiez while the south face overlooks the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir. The ridge of the chain is situated at an altitude varying between 2,997 and 3,258 meters (9,833 and 10,689 ft); it is visible from Montreux, 30 kilometers (19 mi) to the north, as well as from the whole of the Rhône plain of the Chablais vaudois. The Dents du Midi are oriented along an axis running from north-east to south-east over a length of 3 kilometers (1.9 mi).
The main summits of the Dents du Midi are, from north-east to south-west: La Cime de l'Est (3,178 meters; 10,427 ft), La Forteresse (3,164 meters; 10,381 ft), La Cathédrale (3,160 meters; 10,370 ft), L'Éperon (3,114 meters; 10,217 ft), La Dent Jaune (3,186 meters; 10,453 ft), Les Doigts (3,205 and 3,210 meters; 10,515 and 10,531 ft) and La Haute Cime (3,258 meters; 10,689 ft, highest point). The chain is part of the Giffre Massif, of which it is the northern limit and which continues south to the Mont Blanc massif.
There are three passes between the different summits: the Cime de l'Est pass (3,032 meters; 9,948 ft), the Fenêtre de Soi (Soi window) between the Forteresse and the La Cathédrale (3,004 meters; 9,856 ft) and the Col des Dents du Midi (Dents du Midi pass) between the Dent Jaune and the Doigts (2,997 meters; 9,833 ft). A fourth, the Col des Paresseux (the lazy ones' pass), is situated below the Haute Cime (3,067 meters; 10,062 ft). The Dents du Midi are linked to the Tour Sallière by a ridge to the south. It is on this ridge that the Col de Susanfe (Susanfe pass) is located, which allows one to pass from the valley of Susanfe to that of Salanfe.
The Dents du Midi appeared about 60 million years ago, during the continental collision between the Africa and Europe. The collision caused folds in the tectonic plate, which caused the Dents du Midi to protrude from the surface. They represent the frontal hinge of the Morcles nappe, which extends to the south-west and includes Mont Joly and the Aravis mountain range in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. When they were formed, the Dents du Midi were connected with the Dent de Morcles. The current shape of the Dents du Midi appeared during the Würm glaciation, the last of the great glaciations, which began 100,000 years ago. It was then that the chain was separated from the Dent de Morcles by the Rhône glacier, that the glacier of the Val d'Illiez cleared the flysch at the base of the Dents du Midi and that the regional waters shaped the summits according to the weaknesses of the rock. According to certain sources, the Éperon was the highest point of the Dents du Midi in the 18th century. The shape of the summit and the presence of boulders towards the Salanfe lake suggest that it collapsed.
Hub AI
Dents du Midi AI simulator
(@Dents du Midi_simulator)
Dents du Midi
The Dents du Midi (French pronunciation: [dɑ̃ dy midi]; French: "teeth of the South") are a three-kilometre-long mountain range in the Chablais Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Overlooking the Val d'Illiez and the Rhône valley to the south, they face the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir, and are part of the geological ensemble of the Giffre Massif. Their seven peaks are, from north-east to south-west: the Cime de l'Est, the Forteresse, the Cathédrale, the Éperon, the Dent Jaune, the Doigts and the Haute Cime. They are mainly composed of limestone rock, with gritty limestone rock in the upper parts.
The Dents du Midi are accessible from Champéry, les Cerniers, Mex, Salvan and Vérossaz, but have been climbed only since the end of the 18th century. A footpath around the Dents du Midi has existed since 1975. The mountain range represents a local symbol and is often used to promote the Val d'Illiez and various brands and associations in the region.
The first name of the Dents du Midi was "Alpe de Chalen" ("alpine pasture of Chalen"), dating from 1342. It was later transformed into Chalin and which gave its name to a glacier, a hamlet and a mountain refuge. The term "dent de Midy" was first mentioned in 1656 in the book Helvetia antiqua et nova by pastor Jean-Baptiste Plantin. During the 19th century several names were used. In writing, the most common were "la dent du Midi" or "la dent de Midi, but the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used "dents de Tsallen" or "dents de Zallen", from the Tsalin patois word meaning "high bare pasture". The name "Dents du Midi" ("teeth of midday" some have it "teeth of south")[citation needed] seems to come from the fact that during the 20th century, the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used the massif to tell the time. This theory is supported by the old name of the Dent de Bonavau, to the south-east, which was called "Dent-d'une-heure" ("tooth of one o'clock") on maps published in 1928.
The Cime de l'Est (eastern peak) was called "Mont de Novierre" before 1636, then, after a landslide, "Mont Saint-Michel" in honour of the Archangel Michael and finally "dent Noire" ("black tooth") until the first maps. Five of the summits had no names at the time. At the end of the 19th century, the names Forteresse (Fortress), Cathédrale (Cathedral), Éperon (Spur) and Dent Jaune (Yellow Tooth) appeared after the first ascents, although the Éperon and the Dent Jaune still bore the names "Dent Ruinée" (ruined tooth) and "Dent Rouge" (red tooth) on several maps until around 1915. In that year, the "Doigt de Champéry" (Champéry's finger) and the "Doigt de Salanfe" (Salanfe's finger) were grouped together under a common name and became Les Doigts ("the fingers"). The Haute Cime also had several names: "Cime de l'Ouest" (west peak), "Dent du Midi" (tooth of midday), "Dent de Tsallen" (tooth of Tsallen) and "Dent de Challent" (tooth of Challent).
The Dents du Midi are situated on the border between the communes of Val-d'Illiez and Evionnaz. The north face rises above the Val d'Illiez while the south face overlooks the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir. The ridge of the chain is situated at an altitude varying between 2,997 and 3,258 meters (9,833 and 10,689 ft); it is visible from Montreux, 30 kilometers (19 mi) to the north, as well as from the whole of the Rhône plain of the Chablais vaudois. The Dents du Midi are oriented along an axis running from north-east to south-east over a length of 3 kilometers (1.9 mi).
The main summits of the Dents du Midi are, from north-east to south-west: La Cime de l'Est (3,178 meters; 10,427 ft), La Forteresse (3,164 meters; 10,381 ft), La Cathédrale (3,160 meters; 10,370 ft), L'Éperon (3,114 meters; 10,217 ft), La Dent Jaune (3,186 meters; 10,453 ft), Les Doigts (3,205 and 3,210 meters; 10,515 and 10,531 ft) and La Haute Cime (3,258 meters; 10,689 ft, highest point). The chain is part of the Giffre Massif, of which it is the northern limit and which continues south to the Mont Blanc massif.
There are three passes between the different summits: the Cime de l'Est pass (3,032 meters; 9,948 ft), the Fenêtre de Soi (Soi window) between the Forteresse and the La Cathédrale (3,004 meters; 9,856 ft) and the Col des Dents du Midi (Dents du Midi pass) between the Dent Jaune and the Doigts (2,997 meters; 9,833 ft). A fourth, the Col des Paresseux (the lazy ones' pass), is situated below the Haute Cime (3,067 meters; 10,062 ft). The Dents du Midi are linked to the Tour Sallière by a ridge to the south. It is on this ridge that the Col de Susanfe (Susanfe pass) is located, which allows one to pass from the valley of Susanfe to that of Salanfe.
The Dents du Midi appeared about 60 million years ago, during the continental collision between the Africa and Europe. The collision caused folds in the tectonic plate, which caused the Dents du Midi to protrude from the surface. They represent the frontal hinge of the Morcles nappe, which extends to the south-west and includes Mont Joly and the Aravis mountain range in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. When they were formed, the Dents du Midi were connected with the Dent de Morcles. The current shape of the Dents du Midi appeared during the Würm glaciation, the last of the great glaciations, which began 100,000 years ago. It was then that the chain was separated from the Dent de Morcles by the Rhône glacier, that the glacier of the Val d'Illiez cleared the flysch at the base of the Dents du Midi and that the regional waters shaped the summits according to the weaknesses of the rock. According to certain sources, the Éperon was the highest point of the Dents du Midi in the 18th century. The shape of the summit and the presence of boulders towards the Salanfe lake suggest that it collapsed.