Lac du Fangeas via Dormillouse

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Reaching Lac du Fangeas via Dormillouse allows you to enjoy a beautiful hike while avoiding the busy trails.

Details

n°2295449
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.43 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 623 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 619 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,987 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,429 m
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Photos

Fangeas Lake
Lake Fangeas
Les Romans hamlet (Dormillouse)

Description of the walk

Departure from the Cascades car park below Dormillouse.

(S/E) At the car park, you can consult the information panel located at the back.

(1) Turn right onto the Pont des Oules bridge and cross the Torrent de la Biaisse stream. Leave the start on your right and begin the ascent on the left, following the well-marked path that will take you to Les Enflous (winter path).

(2) Once you reach Les Enflous, head north-east to reach the Dormillouse stopover lodge and the Temple.

(3) Take the trail back in the opposite direction.

(2) Turn right towards the car park, cross the Torrent de Chichin bridge and continue to thefirst fork for Lac Fangeas.

(4) At the fork, leave the path that descends towards the car park and continue along the path that follows a contour line (slightly sloping) to reach thesecond fork that leads to Lac Fangeas.

(5) At the fork, leave the path that descends to the left (this will be the return path) and begin the ascent to Lac de Fangeas.

(6) Enjoy Lac de Fangeas before heading back down to the car park. Take the same route as on the way up to reach thesecond fork.

(5) Turn right onto the well-marked path that descends into the valley.

(7) At thethird fork, continue right on the path that descends into the valley to reach Pont des Oules.

(1) Continue straight ahead and you will soon reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,429 m - Cascades car park - Biaysse (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 1,436 m - Northern junction of the circular - Pont des Oules
  3. 2 : km 0.92 - alt. 1,692 m - Les Enflous
  4. 3 : km 1.11 - alt. 1,730 m - Lodge - Temple de Dormillouse
  5. 4 : km 1.68 - alt. 1,678 m - Fork in the road
  6. 5 : km 2.41 - alt. 1,690 m - Southern junction of the circular
  7. 6 : km 4.3 - alt. 1,986 m - Lac Fangeas
  8. 7 : km 6.56 - alt. 1,573 m - Fork in the road
  9. S/E : km 7.43 - alt. 1,429 m - Cascades car park

Notes

During the summer, you can enjoy a drink at the stopover lodge.

You are hiking in the heart of the Écrins 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 these regulations when preparing for your hike in order to preserve this collective asset, on the website https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Worth a visit

View of the Dormillouse waterfall
A very interesting visit to the temple

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Pht0860
Pht0860

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Village of Protestant refugees from Vaud. Interesting temple to visit. Several lodges offering meals and magnificent views. Spectacular waterfalls. Lake partially dry but beautiful site. Take the first bridge on the right when going uphill.
Please note that the road is a little stony in places. Large car park

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jmc13
jmc13

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Unfortunately, the lake no longer exists. The lock was swept away by violent floods in November 2023.

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Mo05
Mo05

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After the autumn floods, the lake has disappeared. Only the torrent remains.

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patrick55
patrick55

Thank you for all these comments. I often go to the Fressinières valley, but I must admit that it's been a while since I've been to the starting point for hikes at the bottom of the valley. I know there have been quite a few problems with the roads and other issues. When I get the chance, I'll do this hike again to make any necessary changes.
Happy hiking to you all!
Patrick

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Annick84
Annick84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done with a 7-year-old child who was walking (at this level) for the first time. The appeal of the stream at the start and then the practicality of the trail meant we set off at a good pace; the highlight of this hike was being able to walk on patches of snow (what a thrill for this city girl) and spot a few marmots. It should be noted that access to the car park was quite perilous, as the bad weather in Vallouise in June 2024 caused a lot of damage (path along the banks of the stream).

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clmi
clmi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, for your information. Lake Fangeas no longer exists; the dam burst in autumn 2023.

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Bob Timmerman
Bob Timmerman

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike we did in the morning. The trail is not very busy, except for the climb up to the village.
One clarification: at point 1, before reaching the first fork for Lac Fangeas, there is another fork where you need to follow the signs for the car park.
Thank you for posting this hike online!

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ROLAND DE GENNARO
ROLAND DE GENNARO

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little hike, perfect for getting back into it. You don't have to do the whole route (you can save a visit to the village of Dormillouse and go to Orcières later).

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fanee
fanee

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, best done early in the day to avoid the crowds.
Although, once you start climbing... there aren't many people!
Visit the village of Dormillouse before going to the lake to avoid an unnecessary return trip, but this will increase the time and distance of the hike.
There are not enough signs, and the hiking times are shorter than they actually are.
We did both lakes, Palluel at an altitude of 2,400 metres and Fageas, due to the lack of signs.
But no regrets! And it took us an hour longer than planned to reach just one lake!

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SERRECHE
SERRECHE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely climb up to the lake, without doing the full route due to the uncertain weather. Various waterfalls. A beautiful spot.
The sheep were gathered in the car park (starting point for the mountain pastures) and had trampled the ground a little, but nothing serious!

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lapinoum
lapinoum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely circular route and the route is very well chosen with two points of interest in addition to the waterfalls: the village of Dormillousse, where you can grab a bite to eat, and a very photogenic lake.
An ideal hike for getting back into shape or with young children.

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grobodovisorando
grobodovisorando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb trail dotted with waterfalls. If you set off in the morning, there is plenty of shade for walking. The lake is not very attractive in places as it is filling up with debris, but you can sit very comfortably along the stream. For once, there were no sheep, but there usually are (so watch out for dogs); the easy route is often frequented by families, but yesterday there was almost no one there. You can continue on to the Col des Terres Blanches, but we didn't go any higher than the lake.

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Walking The tour of the hamlet of Dormillouse

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Dormillouse, a Vaudois hamlet hidden at the bottom of the Fressinière Valley, is as charming as ever. Steeped in history, it was a refuge for persecuted populations and enjoyed a resurgence of interest after 1968 as people sought a return to nature. It is also the only village in the Écrins National Park that is inhabited all year round. This route features a circular loop through the meadows beyond the hamlet of Romans. This rarely visited area offers wonderful views in the evening light.

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