Aiguille de Varan, Mountain summit in the Désert de Platé, Passy, Haute-Savoie, France

Aiguille de Varan is a summit of Haute-Savoie in the Désert de Platé, on the territory of Passy. Its grey rock crown has a jagged, pointed profile and a steep face below a slightly rounded, blocky top; snow lies in broad patches and streaks down the flanks, broken by exposed ridges of stone, with darker rock and scattered trees at the base. It rises to 2,544 metres, about 83 metres above the surrounding terrain.

The name Varan may derive from a Celtic root uer, "above, superior", with the place-name suffix -ano, giving a sense close to "domain of the very high". The summit lies in the Désert de Platé above the commune of Passy and is included in the ZNIEFF type I zone "Tête du Coloney - Désert de Platé", covering 1,297 hectares.

The name Varan may come from a Celtic root uer, "above, higher", with the place-name suffix -ano, giving a sense close to "domain of the very high". The summit stands in the Désert de Platé, on the commune of Passy, and is also called aiguille de Warens.

The summit stands in the Désert de Platé, on the commune of Passy in Haute-Savoie, about 4.3 km east of Sallanches. The surrounding area is protected as part of the ZNIEFF type I zone "Tête du Coloney - Désert de Platé", covering 1,297 hectares. The peak rises 83 metres above the surrounding terrain, so approach routes cross open alpine ground.

The summit stands in the Désert de Platé, a limestone karst plateau on the Passy commune, and forms part of a type I ZNIEFF covering 1,297 hectares. Its alternative name, aiguille de Warens, is recorded alongside the current one. The peak rises 83 metres above the surrounding terrain, with a base spread of about 0.09 kilometres.