Arsine Glacier Lake from the Col du Lautaret

For me, this is one of the most beautiful hikes in this magnificent region of the Alps, with breathtaking views of the eastern glaciers of the Meije massif.
It is a long walk through the mountain pastures, but with very gradual climbs.

However, there is one section that may be tricky for those prone to vertigo.

A great alternative to the hike to Lac d'Arsine, which starts from Monêtier-les-Bains.

Details

65671
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.82 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,923 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,932 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 8,064 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6,670 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the edge of the D1091.

(S/E) From the car park, take the path heading south.

(1) Turn right onto the path that runs along the hillside. This path, known as the "Sentier des Crevasses", winds its way through the mountain pastures, facing the Meije and Pic Gaspard massifs. There are no intersections with other paths.

(2) After a viewpoint facing the Meije massif, the trail turns south. While remaining almost flat, it becomes a little more challenging as it follows a narrow ledge 400 metres above the Romanche river (not recommended for those prone to vertigo!).

(3) Cross the Ruisseau du Colombier stream (a slightly tricky passage). The trail finally reaches a mountain pasture and crosses theGR®54, which descends towards La Grave.

(4) Continue straight ahead.

(5) Ignore the trail that descends to the right towards the Refuge de l'Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne and continue straight ahead on theGR®54. Opposite you is the magnificent glacier-covered summit of Montagne des Agneaux. Continue to Col d'Arsine.

(6) Take the path on your right. You will leave theGR®54and walk between large boulders. After about 400 metres, the path climbs along the grey glacial moraine and leads you to the Arsine Glacier lake.

(7) To return, simply retrace your steps to descend back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 6,680 ft - Col du Lautaret
  2. 1 : mi 0.09 - alt. 6,673 ft - Fork in the road, to the right
  3. 2 : mi 1.7 - alt. 6,946 ft - Belvedere
  4. 3 : mi 2.38 - alt. 6,883 ft - Colombier stream
  5. 4 : mi 3.08 - alt. 6,742 ft - GR54 crossroads
  6. 5 : mi 3.32 - alt. 6,755 ft - Intersection, straight ahead
  7. 6 : mi 5.68 - alt. 7,710 ft - Col d'Arsine (2340m)
  8. 7 : mi 6.38 - alt. 8,061 ft - Lacs d'Arsine
  9. S/E : mi 12.82 - alt. 6,683 ft - Col du Lautaret

Notes

  • You can leave your car in the car park on the left-hand side of the road, just before the Col du Lautaret when coming up from Villar-d'Arêne.
  • Food and drinks are available at the Alpe du Villar d'Arêne refuge.

Note on the route: although the passage above the Romanche river does not present any technical difficulties, it is not recommended for people who suffer from vertigo.

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 rules when preparing for your hike in order to preserve this collective asset, at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
JCParavy
JCParavy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A hike we went on in early September in lovely weather.
You spend the whole day at the foot of the great peaks of the Oisans: Meije, Pic Gaspard, Grande Ruine, Neige Cordier, Les Agneaux… It’s magnificent.
The Sentier des Crevasses is perfectly maintained and easy to walk on, which effectively minimises the risks posed by the few sections requiring extra care.
On the descent from the lakes, I avoided the detour via the Ol d’Arsine by continuing along the path (marked on the IGN map) passing by Lac de l’Etoile: I found the descent more even and, above all, the lakes make for some lovely photos: a route I’d highly recommend.
There are still quite a few cows on the mountain pastures and plenty of marmots getting ready for winter.

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sylvie couriol
sylvie couriol

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike. The Crevasse Trail is very easy to follow. We saw marmots on the plateau. The lakes and glacier are absolutely stunning. Well worth doing again and again.

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User 26665919

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

As of today (30 May 2026), the ‘tricky’ section above the Romanche is either inaccessible or very technical (in my view as a novice hiker). I assume there was a landslide on the path during the winter, as over a few metres it has been completely washed away and is now on the slope and covered in scree.
However, it’s worth making the effort to reach this section – the view is magnificent, and you’ll spot quite a few animals.

To be seen when the path is once again passable without having to rope up or anything

I can send photos of the section in question if needed

Hugo

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User 27470507

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

we did it over two days, spending the night at the Alpe de Villard refuge and the next day walking to the source of the Romanche river

both walks were lovely, with marmots everywhere and chamois

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VCANET
VCANET

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. Very busy route on that day, particularly with several groups of twelve to fifteen people.
Using bus line 6 (Briançon - La Grave) allowed us to combine route no. 65671 (for the climb from Col du Lautaret to Lac du Glacier d'Arsine) with route no. 36560 (for the descent from Lac du Glacier d'Arsine to Casset)
For information: local buses are free for seniors over 70. Simply ask at the Altigo office (in front of Briançon train station) for an individual transport card, valid for one year, for three euros.
We used the "Col du Lautaret" and "Le Casset" stops. (For younger passengers, the fare is reasonable: £6 per person for a return trip from Briançon).

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jazzeline
jazzeline

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

easy hike, parish specific to Brittany, very well-maintained path
we left the car at Le Casset and took the bus to Col du Lautaret, Col d'Arsine, Lac d'Arsine, descended via Les Chalets d'Arsine (magnificent!), Lac de la Douche and then Le Casset. A very beautiful hike!

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Antoine KASPERCZYK
Antoine KASPERCZYK

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Easy hike, but you must not be afraid of heights on the balcony sections (however, when we visited, these balcony paths were in very good condition and very passable).
Not much elevation gain, beautiful panoramic views on the balcony sections and then towards the pass.

An interesting option may be to leave a vehicle at Casset so you don't have to do the round trip, as the descent via Lac de la Douche is very beautiful (see https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-le-l... for more information on the descent in this case)

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Randophil57
Randophil57

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with no difficulties, which we shortened at the Col d'Arsine... The Crevasses Trail is magnificent with superb views, and the two tricky sections that are signposted have been very well secured by the Ecrins National Park and pose no problems.

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mablehome
mablehome

Thank you for your comments.
I have modified the description to highlight the tricky section for people who are prone to vertigo.

Michel

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yul54
yul54

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with superb panoramic views.
Lots of marmots above the refuge along the ridge.
Please note that the passage between points 2 and 4 is strongly discouraged for people who are afraid of heights (it is better to climb from the Arsine bridge), which is more accurate than what is currently indicated in the description.
Appropriate signage should be put in place to highlight these points of caution.
Thank you for this wonderful discovery.

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St-Mich
St-Mich
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The crevasse trail has been completely restored and is truly magnificent (flora, landscape). The elevation gain is very low, but at certain points, it is best not to be prone to vertigo. If you have two cars, it is a good idea to leave one at the Arsine lake. You can continue along the trail beside the Romanche (waterfalls) and even push on to Villard or La Grave (taking the bridge to cross the village of Villard). This route along the Romanche can also be part of a leisurely stroll, as it forms a circular path between Villard and La Grave. Enjoy your walk!

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello
Yes, this trail is indeed very often cut off.
Has the Écrins National Park mentioned this at the start of the Col du Lautaret and also at the intersection with the GR54?
Thank you for your reply so that we can include this information in the description of this hike.

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sgerard6
sgerard6

What a disappointment on 21 June, when part of the Crevasses trail (which starts at Col du Lautaret) was washed away.
The only way to climb up to Arsine is to cross the Pas d'Anna Falque starting from Villar d'Arêne.

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Melquiond bernard
Melquiond bernard

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike starting from the Col du Lautaret. Climb to the Arsine lakes and arrival at the village of Casset. Numerous marmots along the route and sightings of chamois on the descent towards Lac de la Douche. A beautiful, fairly long hike with no major difficulties and very little elevation gain.

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Melquiond bernard
Melquiond bernard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Completed yesterday, 29 June. Less heat, but still intense. We were accompanied from the Alpine refuge to the Col d'Arsine by numerous marmots, who were not at all disturbed by our presence. The heat caused heavy sweating, but this was compensated for by the magnificent scenery

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