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All France Chamonix Lac Blanc

Lac Blanc

An icy lake tucked among jaw-dropping alpine panoramas.

Chamonix, France

Added By
Tao Tao Holmes
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  Tao Tao Holmes
  Tao Tao Holmes
  Tao Tao Holmes
Lac Blanc panorama   Christophe Jacquet.Photo
  Mrvoyage
The Lac Blanc refuge high above Chamonix   Heather Cowper
Lac Blanc refuge in summer   Martial GAILLARD-GRENADIER
Lac Blanc in winter   Robbie Shade
Getting to the lake requires some ladders   Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
The Lac Blanc refuge   Martial GAILLARD-GRENADIER
Be nice with the waiter/waitress of the refuge   massimiliano20097 / Atlas Obscura User
Superior lake   massimiliano20097 / Atlas Obscura User
  massimiliano20097 / Atlas Obscura User
Mont blanc from the lower lake   massimiliano20097 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

If you've only got one day in Chamonix and you ask a local where to go, it's more likely than not that she'll tell you to get yourself up to Lac Blanc.

It's stunning in every direction: the icy, clear waters of the alpine lake, the seats on the patio of the nearby refuge, the dirt paths winding down the valley slopes left, right, up, and down, and of course, Mont Blanc just across the way, towering and glittering at nearly 16,000 feet. 

Lac Blanc, which rests at an elevation of 2,352 meters, or 7,717 feet, is tucked among towering rock faces. You can walk most of its perimeter, and stop by the refuge for a drink or bite to eat. Everything must be delivered there by helicopter, so things, reasonably, cost more than they might a few thousand feet lower. If you book far enough in advance, you can reserve a bunk and half-board and spend the night in the hut, and gaze out onto the moonlit lake deep into the night, or in the morning as the sun rises.

There's often snow year-round up at the lake, but in the warmer months, the trails are completely accessible. This is a popular destination, so on certain days things might get crowded. But for many, the lake itself isn't the real highlight. There are infinite highlights on the route up to the lake, from enormous boulders to smaller ponds, intimidating stone walls, and jaw-dropping panoramas. Chances are you'll find your own favorite spot along the way—maybe it'll draw you in so long that you never actually make it to Lac Blanc itself. If so, you know it's been a near-perfect day. 

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Lakes Mountains Water

Know Before You Go

Lac Blanc and the Lac Blanc Refuge can be reached via a number of different routes. Different starting points will require different amounts of hiking. You can take a gondola partway up (La Flégère) and do a round trip, or start from farther along the valley and make it a long one-way.

Community Contributors

Added By

taotaoholmes

Edited By

Blindcolour, massimiliano20097

  • Blindcolour
  • massimiliano20097

Published

July 1, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.chamonix.com/flegere-index,83,en.html
  • https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187261-d2483322-Reviews-Lac_Blanc-Chamonix_Haute_Savoie_Rhone_Alpes.html
  • http://www.chaletlaforet.com/blog/chamonix-walks-lac-blanc
  • http://www.chamonix.net/english/summer-activities/hiking
Lac Blanc
Chamonix, 74400
France
45.982222, 6.889444

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Photo of Chamonix

Chamonix

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Photo of Chamonix

Chamonix

France

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