From Lake Mont-Cenis to Lake Clair via the Ronce stream

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant hike. A bit crowded until you reach Fort de la Ronce, then quiet. Easy climb to Lac Clair, no difficulty. For the descent, the trail is not easy to follow, so it's best to follow the stream or the correct Visorando trail. Magnificent scenery, magnificent view of Lac du Mont Cenis, marmots everywhere and edelweiss in abundance. Interesting visit to the fort. Walk took 4 hours including lunch break and visit to the fort.

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike. We looked for the trail back to make a loop but couldn't find it. People told us it wasn't easy to find.
The visit to Fort de la Ronce was interesting.

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Date of your route : Jul 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is particularly popular in the late morning, as the lake seems to be a popular picnic spot, but its small size means that it can quickly become quite crowded. We set off at 8:30 a.m. from the car park, so there was still plenty of space. The return route via the stream avoids the crowds of hikers heading for the lake, but the start of the path to the stream is not easy to find. The fort was interesting to visit. Thank you for the hike, the scenery was magnificent.

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Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike
Thanks for the route

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Date of your route : Sep 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Large car park signposted on arrival.
A beautiful hike with few people until you reach Fort de Ronce, and much quieter after that.
No major difficulties in following the route.
However, on the descent at point 2 to reach the Ronce stream, you can either avoid the scree slope or descend further down to cut across the meadow strewn with edelweiss, respecting nature and finding random but existing paths, even if it means taking a few detours.
Once you reach the stream, the route is obvious, on the left bank.
Magnificent views of the lake and the surrounding peaks.

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We parked in the car park of the restaurants by the roadside and set off on a lovely four-hour walk, ending up at the lake for a picnic.
The start of the hike to Fort Ronce is a bit steep but not particularly difficult. Then, on the rest of the climb, we were surprised by how few other hikers there were. The path is well marked and takes you to the lake. On the way back, the route on Visio is clear: you have to go back down the same path for about 300 metres and then turn right down the rocky path alongside the stream, which was dry at this time of year in August. The return trip was enjoyable because we stopped to cool off in the stream below and saw a multitude of flowers, including many edelweiss... It was great. Be careful where you step to protect the PROTECTED FLOWERS...In fact, we met the ENVIRONMENTAL POLICE, who checked us and made us aware of the protected flowers. A GREAT INITIATIVE!

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route with views of Lake Mt Cenis. Fairly steep start, followed by a few snowfields to cross.
Small lake at the bottom of a cirque.

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done on a beautiful July day. Intense sunshine but pleasant temperatures as we climbed higher. Picnic overlooking Lake Clair with magnificent views of Lake Mont Cenis.
Modified return route, descending along the Ronce stream after skirting Lake Clair. The descent begins on scree between snowfields, followed by a few tricky sections where the slope becomes steep. At the foot of the waterfall, we arrive at the confluence of small streams and easily rejoin the route suggested here – the path on the IGN map.
This is much more enjoyable than returning to Fort de Ronce via the same route you took on the way there. Between Fort de Ronce and the car park, there are many more people.

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Date of your route : Aug 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A warm-up outing, a route that is not very busy in the morning (departure at 9 a.m.) but the lake car park (Pyramide) was already quite full. The children we met were fascinated by the place, and further on we saw a few marmots and... some very affectionate and curious cows. After circuit 1 to 4, we returned via point 1 and descended to the car park via the "Cassa" path, joining and crossing the D1006, then taking the path along the lake. This added a few kilometres to the walk.

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Unpredictable weather, two showers, fortunately short...
An uninterrupted climb to the clear lake, which was appreciated in varying degrees by the team. Just before arriving, we crossed some scree, but the path was well marked. The small clear lake is at the bottom of a cirque, at the foot of an impressive mineral landscape. Surprise: lots of edelweiss, sometimes in small bouquets. Charming!
On the way down, it was difficult to find the fork towards the Ronce stream. We used GPS to guide us, descended through the scree, and quickly found the path marked with cairns that runs alongside the stream (and also has a water pipe that follows the path to the Ronce fort. Another good landmark!). Very pleasant, with flat areas, unlike the climb, lots of bunkers emerging, marmots... Also cows with their calves across the path, quickly becoming aggressive when approached, so watch out!
Fort Ronce is worth a visit, with explanatory panels upstairs.
Very beautiful view of Lake Mont Cenis over a good part of the hike.

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Date of your route : Jun 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The weather was uncertain, but we decided to go up anyway. Fortunately, the fog remained below 2,500 metres. On the last section, there was still some snow on the path, but it was very easy to cross.
A beautiful little lake with a rather mineral landscape above it. (On the other hand, the one at Mont Cenis is quite low).
The walk is well worth it. Passing below the fort, there is a casemate whose cupola must weigh a considerable amount of scrap metal. One wonders how the ancients managed to build such structures. As for the Fort de Ronce, it is a masterpiece.

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Date of your route : Sep 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, after the much less frequented Fort de Ronce to Lac Clair.
On the way back, we couldn't follow the stream because there was a scree slope and no path
We rejoined it further down, but by cutting across fields.
We had a very pleasant hike nonetheless.

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