{{Short description|Largest freestanding natural arch in the Alps}} {{Coord|45|22|10|N|5|54|17|E|type:landmark_region:France|display=title}}

[[File:Winter sunrise on Tour Isabelle.jpg|thumb|300px|Tour Isabelle, February 2021]] [[File:Morning light on Tour Isabelle.jpg|thumb|Tour Isabelle in the morning light, August 2018]] The '''Tour Percée''' double arch, also named the '''Tour Isabelle''' arch, is a double [[natural arch]], located in the [[Parc Naturel Régional de la Chartreuse]], [[Chartreuse Mountains]], France.

Its span is {{convert|32|m|ft|0}}, which makes it the widest natural arch in the [[Alps]].

It remained unknown for probably everybody, until its discovery in May 2005, when Pascal Sombardier, who was trekking to write his book ''Chartreuse inédite : Itinéraires insolites'', dealing with lost places of the range, discovered it fortuitously. Its pictures illustrated the front cover of his book, published in 2006 : this double arch became then the symbol of the hidden treasures of the Chartreuse Mountains.<ref name=Sombardier>{{cite book |last1= Sombardier |first1= Pascal |date= 2006 |title= Chartreuse inédite : Itinéraires insolites |trans-title= Unprecedented Chartreuse: Unusual Itineraries |language= fr |location= Grenoble |publisher= Glénat |isbn= 2723453960}}</ref>

Located in a very remote area, with a difficult and dangerous access, very few [[guide book]]s, even the most recent ones, mention its existence.

<gallery> File:Dawn on Tour Isabelle (South face).jpg|Dawn on Tour Percée (South face) File:Tour Isabelle in the Spring time.jpg|Tour Percée in the Spring time File:Tour Isabelle neighboring skulls.jpg|Tour Isabelle neighboring skulls File:Tour_Isabelle_right_after_dawn.jpg|Tour Percée right after dawn File:Tour Isabelle with person over main arch to give scale.jpg|Tour Isabelle with person sitting above the main arch to give scale File:Tour Isabelle with person under main arch to give scale.jpg|Tour Isabelle with person standing under main arch to give scale File:Winter sunrise on Tour Isabelle.jpg|Tour Isabelle in the Winter time <!-- Above photos courtesy of JR Bouvier --> File:Double-arch.jpg|The double arch <!-- Photo courtesy of David George --> </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tour Percee}} [[Category:Natural arches of France]] [[Category:Geography of Isère]] [[Category:Alps]]

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