Lac du Gui and Mont Rond

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From Lac de Plan Désert, easily access the small Lac du Gui and then Mont Rond via a track. This small summit offers views of the Arly valley and the surrounding mountains.

Details

n°3927839
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 293 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 293 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,783 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,490 m
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Photos

Mont Blanc seen from Mont Rond.
Lac du Plan Désert
Lac du Gui
Summit of Mont Rond

Description of the walk

To get to the start: from Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe towards Les Saisies, reach a wide right-hand bend with a platform on the right-hand side. At the entrance to this, turn left towards Les Excoffonières - Plan Désert (lake).
Follow the small road to the end and park near the lake.

(S/E) Continue along the track that passes under the chairlifts and joins the entrance to the farm.

(1) Ignore the access road to the farm and head for the next fork on the ridge via a fairly steep climb.

(2) Continue to the right and enjoy the view of nearby Lac du Gui. After a short climb, the track curves to the right and continues almost horizontally to Mont Rond.

(3) After enjoying the view, return to Lac du Plan Désert via the same route (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,490 m - Lac du Plan Désert
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 1,520 m - Fork in the road, go straight ahead
  3. 2 : km 1.64 - alt. 1,720 m - Fork - Le Lac du Guï
  4. 3 : km 2.59 - alt. 1,783 m - Mont Rond (1783 m)
  5. S/E : km 5.17 - alt. 1,490 m - Lac du Plan Désert

Notes

Route follows a track. This hike can be done in wet weather.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
BARET André
BARET André

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We made a variation to this itinerary that we found interesting:
Parking at the Plan Désert lake car park, we walked to the foot of the chairlift and the small bar-restaurant. There, a sign points to Le Stomu le Chardonnet. We followed this good, slightly downhill, shaded path that runs along the left bank of the Nant du Milieu stream.After passing a sheepfold (elevation 1,427 metres on the IGN map), we began the climb up to Mont Rond (signposted at this intersection) via a wide path that first passes under the Mont Rond chairlift before reaching the summit. Then follow the "chemin des Gueux" to reach Lac du Gui and descend via the track described in the original hike itinerary to return to Plan Désert.
A nice little loop of about 7 km with the advantage of climbing almost entirely in the shade if you set off in the morning.

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Stephe
Stephe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb is steady on a road.
There is a beautiful view from the top of the round hill
The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

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User 26733998

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Family hike with a climb up a rocky mountain path with little of interest
Lake Gui is more like a large pond. However, the view of Mont Rond is magnificent, with an alpine chalet that doubles as a restaurant/bar
For the descent, we decided to cut through the forest (there is a path to the right of the ski lifts) to reach Lac du Gui and finish on the same path as on the way up
We had a picnic by the lake at the start of the hike, which was a good warm-up for the hikes to come

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seminois
seminois

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful, well-marked hike. Breathtaking views all along the way. We even saw marmots.
I highly recommend it.

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Yolande T
Yolande T

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views from both the Plan Désert car park and the summit of Mont Rond: a 360° panorama! There are also numerous picnic tables.
And a little later in the season, you can buy mountain cheeses and charcuterie at the farm located along the route.
Abundant flora all along the way.
A beautiful, easy hike.

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J-Marc du 71
J-Marc du 71

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One small downside regarding walking times. The climb to the summit was advertised as taking 2 hours and 25 minutes, but in fact it only took me 1 hour and 15 minutes, following the route perfectly... and I'm no sprinter.

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Gil4571
Gil4571

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike
A nice spot at the start and finish for a picnic.
At the end, a 360° view that is sure to take your breath away on a sunny day.
An easy climb, even for people aged 75 and over.
I would love to do this hike again in the sunshine.

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RAILSETDRAILLES
RAILSETDRAILLES

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The appeal of this walk is to enjoy the views offered by Mont Rond: Mont Blanc, of course, Aravis, Beaufortain and the peaks of Espace Cristal. We extended the walk to Mouille Froide (from there, it is possible to return via the valley). The initial climb is quite steep. Ski lifts are everywhere. On this sunny Sunday, there was a great atmosphere with picnickers around Lake Plan Désert. There were lots of herds (even free-range pigs!) and goat's cheese for sale shortly after the start.

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