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Park in the Plan Lachat car park on the road leading to the Col du Galibier (D902)
(S/E) Take a path that climbs south-east. Follow the forest road and reach the hamlet of Les Mottets, leaving it on your right and continuing along a shortcut formed by a footpath.
(1) At an altitude of around 2,137 metres, above the hamlet, a sign points towards Lac des Cerces and Col des Cerces. Follow this direction, crossing the forest track to join a small hiking trail that continues to climb south-east. This trail approaches the Ruisseau des Cerces and becomes slightly less steep.
(2) At the crossroads (GR®57), continue straight ahead at the bottom of the valley and in a few minutes you will reach Lac des Cerces, where you can take a break.
(3) Head left, leaving the lake on your right, and start climbing up to the Col des Cerces. Join theGR®57and keep going up to the pass.
(4) Descend the other side of the pass, pass a trail on the left and reach Lac du Grand Ban. Turn right onto a path through the scree that runs alongside the lake. Continue to Lac Rond and go around it on the right.
(5) At the end of the lake, join the Seuil des Rochilles where you will see a Sardinian boundary stone (evidence of an ancient border between the Kingdom of France and the Sardinian states). Make a return trip to Lac de la Clarée, which is located below.
(6) Go around Lac de la Clarée and observe the ancient fortifications on the north side of the cliffs, which were part of the Maginot Line and served as shelters for the cannons that defended the valley.
(5) Shortly after passing the Sardinian boundary marker on the way back, continue west-northwest with Lac Rond on your left.
(7) At the "Les trois Lacs" sign (2,470 m), continue straight ahead on the gently sloping path that runs alongside Lac du Grand Ban on your left. Reach the Col des Rochilles at an altitude of 2,494 metres.
(8) Descend via several hairpin bends towards the Rochilles military camp.
(9) Continue along a forest path until you reach a stone chalet on a left-hand bend.
(10) Leave the path and take a hiking trail that descends to the right (north-west), indicated by a sign pointing towards "Plan Lachat par le sentier".
(11) Pass a path on your left and cross the Ruisseau de la Jargette stream. Continue on Plan Lachat, following this path which heads generally west. You will then rejoin the forest path you took at the start, which leads to the car park (S/E).
The area is very (over)crowded (it’s August, the lakes attract the crowds – not really surprising) and lots of people are camping by the lakes. When I arrived at Lac des Cerces shortly after 8 o’clock in the morning, I was really surprised by the number of campsites. I even thought to myself: this is a campsite here! The only lake without any tents was Lac du Grand Ban. This ‘trend’ really needs to stop – it’s getting a bit of a downer 
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Visorando Member
Difficult 
Very difficult 
