Combeynot Lake

Hike to a high-altitude lake nestled in a glacial basin at the foot of the Pics de Combeynot.

Details

n°283067

Creation:
20 Jun 2016

Last update:
21 Nov 2024

Last review:
22 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 8.03 km
Average duration: 5h 00
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 936 m
Descent: - 936 m
Highest point: 2,559 m
Lowest point: 1,623 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Dauphiné
City: Le Monêtier-les-Bains (05220)
Start/End: N 45.010928° / E 6.465891°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3436ET, 3436ETR, 3535OT, 3535OTR
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Description of the walk

From Briançon, take the Col du Lautaret road, pass Monêtier-les-Bains and then, 5.6 km further on, just before the Pont de l'Alpe, turn left towards the hamlet of Lauzet. From there, head towards the Boussardes farm. Cross the Guisane bridge and park in the car park on the right.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the road through the hamlet of Les Boussardes for 50 metres.

(1) At the sign, turn right towards Lac de Combeynot. The path climbs across pastures where you may see a flock of sheep. The path then climbs steeply in switchbacks through a thick larch forest. It emerges at around 2,000 metres.

(2) Wind your way through an area of large boulders, continuing across the slope. Reach the foot of a rocky ridge. Climb up the right-hand side via a series of steps. Small yellow arrows indicate the direction to follow. After a final gentle climb, you will reach the lake, marked by two huge cairns.

(3) Descend on the other side of the lake towards the lake.

(4) Return by the same route to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,623 m - Parking
1 : km 0.03 - alt. 1,626 m - Marked start of the lake trail - Guisane (rivière)
2 : km 2.09 - alt. 2,086 m - Exit from the forest
3 : km 3.87 - alt. 2,547 m - Lake lock
4 : km 4.01 - alt. 2,546 m - Combeynot Lake
S/E : km 8.03 - alt. 1,623 m - Parking

Notes

I have made a video with the names of the peaks, showing the route and the atmosphere of this walk.

The hike is entirely on trails with a fairly steep slope.
There are a few rocky sections with a series of steps. However, we did not feel the need to use our hands.

You will be hiking in the heart of the Ecrins National Park.

The Écrins massif is an exceptional area, open to all, with a rare natural, cultural and landscape heritage. To protect these treasures, the heart of the park is marked by blue, white and red flags, where regulations must be observed. Please read them when preparing your hike to help preserve this shared heritage at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Worth a visit

The lake is nestled in a basin and the high peaks surrounding it form a magnificent cirque.
At the western end of the lake is the "Tête du Vallon" (a flattened peak), and to its right is the "Pic Ouest du Combeynot". These two peaks are separated by the three small "Jumelles Nord" peaks.
To the right and north-west is the "Pic Est du Combeynot", followed to the north-east by the "Roche de la Gardette".

The trail climbs generally westward, following the right side of the Vallon du Fontenil.
However, there is no visible stream in the valley; the water flows under the rocks and moraines to feed springs called "Fontettes" located 600 metres south of the hamlet of Les Boussardes, hence the name "Fontenil".

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 20 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5

Route interest
4.8 / 5

yoyo78visiorando

22 Aug 2025 at 19:35 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful round trip hike with a good climb! We set off early and admired chamois and marmots, serin cini birds, redstarts... The park guides overtook us and repaired the path that had collapsed!

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Tommy05

21 Jul 2025 at 12:02 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike in the Écrins National Park with a significant elevation gain requiring good stamina and sturdy footwear. A fairly rugged and poorly marked section before reaching the lake requires some caution. Marmots can be seen emerging from the forest. Beautiful mountain lake.

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Robdo

23 Jul 2024 at 16:49 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike along a unique trail that is impossible to miss. The arrival at the magnificent glacial lake is spectacular, but the end of the trail is quite steep and unstable. You can clearly see the path that circles the lake and leads to the eastern peak of Combeynot. We encountered some chamois on the way back, which was magical.

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CatherineT

24 Aug 2022 at 19:42 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a variety of landscapes, each very different from the next. It was very sad to see the lake completely dry; it was gone, which was heartbreaking. The sections with scree are tricky but not dangerous. The round trip took us five hours.

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sebmichelin

18 Jul 2022 at 16:47 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in this valley with lots of chamois. We were lucky enough to see two cross our path in the middle of the day. The lake was very empty this summer, so it wasn't as beautiful as other times.

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Britanicus100

23 Jul 2021 at 16:36 7200 • Edited: 25 Jul 2021 at 08:16 7200

No, not to my knowledge. However, it is possible to reach the Pic Est de Combeynot, but this is more like hiking or mountaineering. It is a very difficult climb over rocky terrain with a high risk of rock falls.

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PAB38

23 Jul 2021 at 15:32 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,

Is it possible to reach the Col d'Arsine and/or the Col du Lautaret directly from Lake Combeynot?

Thanks in advance!

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randonnee 2015

24 Aug 2020 at 15:24 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A fairly challenging trail from start to finish, with a slightly steeper section as you approach the lake. A beautiful walk, best done in the cool of the morning (departure at 7.30am from Les Boussardes). Very rocky landscape, few people on the way up but many more on the way back!

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Melquiond bernard

23 Jun 2020 at 07:32 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike in glorious weather. We spotted a few chamois and a bearded vulture flew overhead. The lake was still partially frozen. No major difficulties, except perhaps on the descent down the steep section where the path was difficult to see.

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ptit coeur

23 Nov 2019 at 16:54 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful hike, trail degraded on a small section of a rocky slope but nothing dangerous.
You can use your hands on a very steep descent.
Very beautiful scenery

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Andre H2.

17 Sep 2019 at 00:33 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A challenging hike in a quiet valley, the section through the larch trees is pleasant when the sun is shining.
You can continue by going around the lake along the ridge, taking the path on the left, which is not obvious but the landmark is there, marked in the scree on the right.
The car park is a nice place to rest after this short trip.
Personally, I had a great time.

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patrick1953

01 Jul 2019 at 19:49 7200 • Edited: 01 Jul 2019 at 19:53 7200

Thank you very much for clarifying this, but where can I find this menu to recalculate altitudes?
kind regards,

Patrick

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bernardino

01 Jul 2019 at 16:17 7200

When I log into your route and select the Recalculate altitudes menu, it returns to 949m.
This is due to spikes that sometimes occur during recording (loss of signal or different positioning in relation to the track, particularly in areas close to rocks).
This is why we always recommend activating this Recalculate menu.
Have a nice day

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patrick1953

01 Jul 2019 at 11:28 7200

Hello,
I'd like to believe you, but I noted this elevation difference on my Visorando route summary!
And I didn't stray from the path
Best regards,
Patrick

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bernardino

30 Jun 2019 at 21:22 7200

Well, no, the elevation gain is correct, give or take 2 metres, at 936 m. Sorry to disappoint you, but you'll have to climb either the Vallon de la Route or the Col du Fontenil to reach 1,129 m or higher.
I think you got this figure from a GPS or some other device, which was way off the mark.
For an accurate value, simply:
Altitude of the lake: 2,561
Parking altitude: 1,625
Difference: 936
I should point out that the climb to the lake is continuous, so there are no ascents or descents that could alter this value.

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Author

Britanicus100
94 Walks

Visorando Member

City: Briançon (05100)

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