Circular Grande Lance de Domène route via the Col des Lances and Lac du Loup

⚠️ It is essential to read the Practical Information before undertaking this hike, particularly regarding equipment, difficulty and the best season.

Park at Pré Raymond, past the Quatre Chemins car park (the road is unpaved for about 1 km).

(S/E) From the car park, take the wide, carriageable track that climbs southwards. This path is marked in yellow (^PR®) and red and white (^GR®); it is joined by the^GR®549Acoming from the left and continues to climb southwards, turning into a winding path that ascends through the forest to the south-east before crossing for about 1 km on level ground to exit the forest and climb up to Lac du Crozet.

(1) Go round the lake along the path on its eastern bank (orographic right bank) and then head up the Vallon du Mercier (south-east) to reach the Col de la Pra.

(2) At the pass, follow the signposted route to the left towards the Lacs du Domènon and the Croix de Belledonne (yellow markings, initially heading north-east). My GPS track follows the path closest to the Domènon stream, but the path on the left is also suitable and the two meet below the lake’s water distribution point (see ‘During the hike or nearby’). The path is then marked with cairns through the scree of large boulders bordering the upper Domènon waterfall. Just before the lake, the path turns right (south) to run along the base of the cliffs, and a short section over the rocks can be very slippery and dangerous in snowy or wet conditions.

(3) As soon as you reach the lake, look to the left for a rock marked with a large yellow arrow indicating the path leading up to La Lance. This steep path climbs north-east straight up the slope. The yellow markings are fairly recent and numerous enough that you can always see the next one when you reach it. The final few metres below the summit are due north, passing over small boulders.

(4) At the summit, covered in comfortable slabs, look out for the three cols on the eastern ridge leading to Pic Couttet
(see this photo and this one, as well as the directions provided – the last two passes are clearly visible). The route involves heading for the nearest pass (unnamed), skirting the rocks flanking the second pass on either side at their base (the Lac Blanc pass on the IGN map) and climbing up scree to the final pass (unnamed on the IGN map).

Reach the first pass by descending along the ridge (due east) on the southern slope. The faint ridge track disappears at the pass.

(5) At this pass, descend east-southeast down the steep scree slope to bypass the base of the rocks beneath the Col du Lac Blanc, then climb west-northwest up slightly less steep scree forming a small undulation, towards the wide Col du Pic Couttet (unnamed on the IGN map).

(6) At the pass, if the slope appears too steep or if conditions are poor (unstable snow), do not hesitate to follow the quick return route described below. Otherwise, cross the pass and descend north-north-west down a couloir whose base narrows and is obstructed by a snowfield of ice. Towards the end of the season, it is possible to skirt this snowfield along its left-hand side, descending into the bergschrund; otherwise, you must put on crampons to cross it and reach the base of the cliffs and spurs at around 2,400m.

Then veer left, due west, to climb diagonally up very steep scree (or snowfields depending on the season) beneath the rocky peaks of the ridge previously traversed (between (4) and (6)). There are still no tracks or cairns.

With the Col des Lances in sight, climb up its left bank (i.e. on the right) via grassy slopes that are slightly less unstable than the central scree, and reach the pass by using the rocks on your right.

(7) At the pass, take a few steps onto the other side to view Lac du Glacier de la Sitre (the IGN topographic map is 30 years out of date and does not show this lake) and the cairn placed on a large rock at the eastern end of the lake (see location photo). Descend by sight towards the lake and this cairn, over rocks that are much easier to navigate than those on the previous shore.

(8) At the cairn, look out for other small cairns to the right (north-north-east) placed on the rounded rocks forming the glacial barrier of the lake. Head towards these cairns, on the right bank of the lake’s outlet, and descend over relatively easy rocky outcrops (unless it is raining or snowing) to reach the stream at the base of the glacial barrier.

(9) Cross the stream then descend its left bank to the north-west, following a cairn-marked track leading to the^GR®549path below.

(10) Cross the stream and turn left (west-south-west) onto the^GR®549(red and white) to climb up to the unnamed pass overlooking Lac du Loup.

(11) At the pass, continue down the^GR® towards the lake (West-South-West). Once at the lake, the path turns right (North-West) and then descends into the valley floor of the Vallon du Loup. This leads to the path running alongside Lac du Crozet.

(1) Turn right onto this path, marked alternately in yellow and red and white, and follow it along the same route as on the way up, back to the car park (S/E).

Difficulty:
The difficulty rating for this hike is due to the section between (6) and (7) (a steep descent to Lac Blanc requiring crampons and an ice axe even at the end of the season, followed by a climb back up to Col des Lances over very steep scree slopes) and the tricky passage over rounded rocks between (8) and (9) (from Lac du Glacier de la Sitre — not shown on IGN topographic maps — to the crossing of the corresponding stream). If you wish to avoid these sections, it is best to return from the summit via the quick return route.

This hike is not recommended in unsettled weather; the rock must be completely dry at the end of the season or the snow must be firmly packed at the start of the season.

⚠️ Please note: the difficult terrain significantly lengthens this hike, and a good walker will take at least 10 hours to complete it at the end of the season, not including breaks.

Equipment:
The north face of the Grande Lance de Domène was covered in glaciers less than 40 years ago. The Sitre glacier is struggling to survive, but several snowfields are also permanently frozen; in particular, the one at the end of the couloir below the Col du Pic Couttet (6) never thaws. You must bring an ice axe and crampons to cross it. A helmet is also essential, as chamois and ibex are abundant and trigger numerous rockfalls.

Furthermore, walking poles are useful on the scree slopes leading up to the Col des Lances, but you must be able to stow them in your rucksack when using the ice axe.

Season:
At the start of the season (July), snowfields still cover the north face of the Grande Lance, making progress much easier (crampons and an ice axe are nevertheless essential). Be careful, however, of the snow, which can make the rocky section below the Lac du Glacier de la Sitre (8) very exposed if the snowpack is unstable.

Water:
There are no water sources between the start at Lac du Petit Domènon (3) and Lac du Glacier de la Sitre (8). It is advisable to filter water from the lakes.

Variations:
There are several alternative routes for this hike:

Quick return, for those put off by the steepness of the couloir below the Col du Pic Couttet. In this case, descend by sight from the pass, first south-west along a ridge, then, before reaching rocky escarpments, turn left (east) to return to level ground in the valley bordering the western foothills of Pic Couttet, and head straight south through it to reach the plateau where several streams flow. Follow these streams due west until you reach the well-marked and signposted path leading to the Lacs des Domènons, and follow them as far as (3). From there, retrace your steps along the outward route to the Col de la Pra (2) and then to the car park (S/E).

This quick detour increases the difficulty of the hike to Very Difficult (due to the elevation gain and sections off the trail through scree).

Summit of the Petite Lance de Domène, for those who still have plenty of energy upon reaching the Col des Lances.
At the pass (7), follow the ridge heading north-north-west towards the Petite Lance de Domène. Cross a few rocky sections not exceeding grade 3 and pass the slabs below the summit on the left. The return to the pass is via the same route.

Dents du Loup, for those not exhausted by the ascent of the Petite Lance.
At Lac du Loup, where the^GR®549turns sharply right (north-west) to descend (red, white and yellow markings at a right angle), do not follow the path but continue straight on along the ridge and climb it south-westwards to the base of the Dents du Loup rocks. Once you reach the base, follow the track climbing south-east and leading to the ridge (see photo).

Wildlife:
Ibex are abundant on the southern slopes of the Grande Lance de Domène. They particularly favour the upper part of the access couloir (between (3) and (4), quite high up), the rounded rocks forming a plateau to the south-east of the summit, and the ridges below the Col du Pic Couttet (6). See photos.

Chamois prefer the northern slopes of La Lance, as they are less frequented. When descending from the pass (6), it is common to come across them.

During my last visit, I saw an eagle nesting in the cliffs beneath the ridge between (5) and (6), on the north side.

Domènon water distribution point:

At around 2,250m, between (2) and (3), there is a structure from which the Domènon waterfalls flow.

During the industrial revolution of ‘white coal’ (hydropower), entrepreneurs from the towns of Domène and Lancey (where Aristide Bergès had settled) fought over the waters of the Domènon, a source of hydroelectric power. Their workers would regularly destroy rival installations to divert the waters of the Domènon either towards Lake Crozet or towards the Domènon valley itself. This minor conflict lasted 20 years until, in 1884, a ruling by the Grenoble court granted a definitive right of sharing, allocating one-third of the water to the town of Lancey (limited to ½ m³/s) and the remaining two-thirds to the town of Domène. An engineer was then commissioned to build a distributor meeting these requirements, and this is still operational and visible on the ledge below the first Domènon waterfall. The distributor was installed in 1894 and continues to function satisfactorily, despite the extreme conditions (frost, rocks carried by the torrent) to which it is subjected.

A protective system prevents rocks from entering the distributor. The water enters at the bottom and rises into a cylinder fitted at the top with three spillways at exactly the same level: one for Lancey and two for Domène. The whole structure is covered by a masonry vault to protect the installation.