Combeynot Lake and East Peak

(S/E) From the car park, follow the road for 50 metres towards Les Boussardes until you see a yellow sign on the right indicating the direction of Lac du Combeynot. The path climbs westwards for 50 metres and then turns southwards.

At an altitude of 1,682 metres, do not continue straight on but turn 90° to climb above the meadows on the south-western side of the valley. The well-marked path enters a coniferous forest and climbs westwards along the shaded shoulder of an ancient moraine. Blue markers dot the path here and there, but these are hardly necessary as the trail is very clearly marked.

On emerging from the forest, a few cairns mark the route, and it follows the northern slopes of the Vallon du Fontenil. Pass the lake’s narrows via a few hairpin bends, then follow the path for 500m to reach the lake’s spillway.

(1) At Lac de Combeynot, take an unmarked but clearly visible path that climbs north-westwards through the scree on the lake’s left bank to go round a large moraine boulder overlooking the lake’s bottom on the left. Once near this boulder, carefully identify the route to follow using the photo of the Jumelles Nord and Pic Ouest and its caption.

After the moraine boulder, continue climbing through the scree, now heading west, and ignore two couloirs ascending northwards towards the Brèche de Combeynot. Climb up the increasingly steep scree, keeping close to the base of the rocks, to go round them and enter a third couloir ascending north-east.

Climb up this couloir, using the rocks lining its left-hand side for support, until you reach a shoulder marking the top of the couloir.

(2) Climb up the scree to the north-north-east, following the few cairns marking the route, as close as possible to the base of the rocks descending from the ridge. This will take you to the wide pass of the Brèche de Combeynot.

(3) From the breach, follow the jagged line of the ridge eastwards. Two rock pinnacles form an obstacle on the ridge, but you simply need to bypass them to the right, via their base on the southern flank, to reach the summit without difficulty.

(4) At the summit, take in the view (see annotated panorama and spherical view), then retrace your steps for the descent.

As snowfields persist late into the season, head for the snowfield at the bottom of the valley for a descent that’s easier on the knees.

(5) Follow the snowfield at the bottom of the valley until you rejoin the ascent route, then follow this back to the starting point (S/E).

?️ Park at the Boussardes car park on the right bank of the Guisane, just after the bridge crossing the river between Le Lauzet and Les Boussardes.

? There isn’t much water along the route, except of course at the lake; make sure you bring enough with you.

? Dogs are not permitted, even on a lead, as the walk takes place almost entirely within the boundaries of the Écrins National Park.

?‍♀️ The difficulty of this walk lies mainly in the elevation gain and the very steep scree slope below the Brèche de Combeynot: you take two steps forward only to slip one step back.

? The walk is short, but it is possible to camp near the lake if you wish to enjoy the sunrise.

? Standard hiking kit is sufficient; telescopic walking poles are useful.

⏰ The reflections of the Crête de Combeynot in the lake of the same name are only visible at sunrise, so you’ll need to set off early to see them.

? The IBP statistics for the route give an index of 179, a distance of 12.63 km, a total elevation gain of 1,572 m, a walking time of 4:21:44 and an average speed of 2.9 km/h.

? Finding your way is easy, even in the off-trail sections. The photo of the Northern Twins and the Western Peak makes it easy to spot the easiest route up the couloir.

You’ll be hiking in the heart of the Écrins National Park.

The Écrins massif is an exceptional area, open to all, with a natural, cultural and scenic heritage that is truly unique. To protect these treasures, the heart of the park is marked by blue-white-red flags, and certain regulations must be observed. Please familiarise yourself with these regulations when planning your hike to help preserve this shared heritage, on the website https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

? Alpine wildlife is, of course, abundant here. Chamois inhabit the slopes of the Fontenil valley and vultures are also numerous.

? The views are magnificent. See this interactive spherical photo of the summit and this one of the lake.

? Several alternative routes are possible. The suggested route is the easiest, but the two couloirs preceding the one indicated are also passable and more direct. If you’re an experienced hiker, it’s possible to climb the two gendarmes leading to the Pic Est rather than skirting round them at their base.

It is also possible to reach the West Peak of Combeynot, which offers a superb view of the Vallon de la Romanche and the Homme and Lautaret glaciers. Please note, however, that this constitutes PD-grade mountaineering on extremely loose terrain where it is virtually impossible to secure yourself. To reach the western summit, simply follow the ridge, bypassing obstacles to the left (south-facing slope); the final slope below the summit is very steep, so it is best to stay as close as possible to the ridge, but you must test each hold.

? Le Fontenil refers to the springs that discharge the waters of Lake Combeynot via an underground channel. Combeynot probably derives from Combe Eynaud, a ‘combe’ being a dry mountain-side valley generally situated above the springs, and ‘Eynaud’ being a proper name.