Rocher Rond


The Rocher Rond is a summit in the Dévoluy massif of the French Alps. It is the highest point of the Vercors Regional Natural Park, although it is not part of the Vercors massif, and also the highest point in the department of Drôme. It has an elevation of 2453 metres, and an isolation of 8.77 km. It is the 14th highest French department highpoint.

Location

Rocher Rond lies in the foothills of the Alps, straddling the communes of Lus-la-Croix-Haute and Agnières-en-Dévoluy. It is preceded to the north by the Grand Ferrand, and the Tête des Vautes, which is connected to the main body of the mountain by the Col du Charnier, and the Plate Longue, which is a pyramid of bare rock and generally regarded as a sub-summit of Rocher Rond. The east slope is snow-covered in winter, and is popular with skiers. There ridges leading off the summit to the north, north-east, and south.

Geology

The Rocher Rond is mainly composed of limestone. The western slope is almost exclusively exposed rock and cliffs, overlooking the Lac du Lauzon, and the summit massif is of the Santonian strata, whilst some of the surrounding mountains are of another Cretaceous strata, the Barremian. However, this lies on top of another rock strata, of the Neocomian era, which is exposed below the cliffs in a concave slope descending to the shore of the Lac du Lauzon.