Context

View of the Bastille fortress and the city below, with the Taillefer  (2857m) looming in the distance.

        We have been lucky to call Grenoble home since moving here from Vermont (USA) in October, 2010. Located in southeastern France, Grenoble is a city of about 150,000 people located an hour and a half from the Italian border to the east, about the same to Geneva to the north, and 3 hours north of the Mediterranean coast. The city itself is surrounded by four lesser known mountain ranges: the Chartreuse and Vercors ("pre-alpine" limestone massifs up to just above 2000m), followed by the Taillefer and Belledonne massifs (start of the "interior" Alps, crystalline rock up to 3000m).

        Slightly further afield are the core alpine massifs of the French Alps. Mont Blanc speaks for itself, and this is the only range where we have a hope of people from home recognizing the name of a mountain. The Vanoise is home to a national park containing beautiful glaciated peaks that top out just below the 4000m benchmark (the Grande Casse is 3885m). Although less famous for alpinism, the Vanoise has a certain grandeur thanks to wide open spaces and a gentler topography that is more conducive to skiing and hiking. The Ecrins (also a national park) are the The Range as far as Hillary and I are concerned, and not only due to their proximity to Grenoble. Steep and mysterious valleys, complex route finding, solitude, and a general sense that here one is adventuring on their own account make this is the most frequent destination for grand outings in all seasons. And yes, on rare occasions we have been known to retreat from the mountains and drive south seeking warm limestone by the coast...

Brad & Hillary at the Calanque d'en Vau
(January 2011).