Montcalm Massif

Montcalm Massif
Pic de Montcalm seen from the Vicdessos valley
Elevation	3,077 m (10,095 ft)
Location
Montcalm Massif Ariège,  France Pallars Sobirà,  Spain
Range	Pyrenees
Coordinates	42°40′00″N 1°24′30″E / 42.6666667°N 1.40833°E / 42.6666667; 1.40833Coordinates: 42°40′00″N 1°24′30″E / 42.6666667°N 1.40833°E / 42.6666667; 1.40833
Geology
Type	Granite
Climbing
First ascent	Coraboeuf and Testu, 1827
Easiest route	From Alins or Auzat

The Estany de Canalbona located in the massif

The Montcalm Massif (French: Massif du Montcalm, Catalan: Massís del Montcalm) is a mountain massif located in the Pyrenees, at the border between France and Spain, it has an altitude of 3077 metres above sea level.^[1]

Some of the summits are over 3,000 m high and the highest mountain in Catalonia (Pica d'Estats), as well as the highest mountain in Ariège (Pic de Montcalm), are part of this massif.^[2]

Protected areas

The Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises is located on the French side of the massif area^[3] and the Parc Natural de l'Alt Pirineu on the Spanish side.^[4]

Climbing some of the summits is not easy and there have been occasional accidents involving overconfident mountaineers.^[5]

The Estany de Canalbona or Estanyol Occidental de Canalbona is a pristine glacial lake located in the Montcalm Massif between the Pic de Canalbona and the Rodó de Canalbona, at the base of the "Collet Fals" near the "Pica d'Estats". The lake drains towards the Catalan side. The lake stays frozen most of the year, but the ice is usually totally melted at the end of the summer.

Summits

Some of the main summits are:

• Pica d'Estats, 3143 m
• Pic de Montcalm, 3077 m
• Pic de Sotllo or Pic du port de Sullo, 3072 m
• Pic Verdaguer, 3131 m
• Punta Gabarro, 3115 m
• Rodo de Canalbona, 3004 m
• Pic de Canalbona, 2965 m

See also

• Pyrenees
• List of Pyrenean three-thousanders
• Mountains of Catalonia

References

1. ^ "Mapa Topogràfic de Catalunya". Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya. http://www.icc.cat/portal/. Retrieved May 22, 2010. .
2. ^ Juan Buysé, Los Tresmiles del Pirineo, un estudio enciclopédico. 3a ed. Editorial Martínez Roca, Barcelona, 1993
3. ^ Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises
4. ^ Parc Natural de l'Alt Pirineu
5. ^ Massif du Montcalm : chute mortelle à 2 700 m

External links

• Pictures of the Massif