Lancebranlette with return via Lac sans Fond

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Hike starting from the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, with a low elevation gain of 800 metres, beginning in the mountain pastures, then a well-marked section on schist before the last 250 metres on the grassy western slope, which is never exposed.
High point: regular sightings of male ibex on a ridge.
The detour via Lac sans Fond allows you to make a loop.

Details

n°339477
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.55 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 863 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 871 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,929 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,120 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Alps
  • ⚐ District: Séez (73700)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 45.67127° / E 6.875197°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3531ET, 3531ETR, 3532ET, 3532ETR
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Photos

Ibex around a bend in the mountain pasture
Etagne de Lancebranlette
ibex
pano

Description of the walk

Departure from the Hospice du Col du Petit Saint-Bernard.

(S/E) Take the marked trail: "Lac sans Font-Lancebranlette" towards the north-west behind the Hospice du Petit Saint-Bernard. It crosses the Torrent du Reclus at an altitude of 2,149 metres and then winds its way up through the mountain pastures to the junction with the trail to Lac sans Fond (signposted).

(1) Leave the trail that goes to Lac sans Fond on your left; this will be your return trail. Take the trail opposite, signposted "Lancebranlette 1h25", and continue across the mountain pasture towards the north-west until you reach the base of the schist.

(2) The trail is well marked in the scree to the right of a rocky ridge. It is steep but stabilised by logs. It leads to the grassy ridge on the western side of the summit at an altitude of 2,700 metres, where it climbs in wide switchbacks through the grass until it reaches the edge of the summit ridge. From there, you can see ibex basking on the ledges to the east. The wide trail passes the orientation table and a bench (the orientation table is an ideal place to take a break with a view of Lac sans Fond below), before reaching the summit (2936m).

(3) Descend to the previous junction via the same route.

(1) At the sign, turn right towards the west onto the lake trail, which you will reach in 10 to 15 minutes and a drop of about 20 metres.

(4) At the lake, climb the southern ridge above the snowfield and descend west to cross the lake's spillway to the track. Track on the hillside above a channel (blue dots on the map). Follow the track south for 200 metres to the sign for "Col de la Forclaz-Hospice du Petit St Bernard".

(5) Descend to the left onto the alpine farm track. It descends in wide switchbacks towards the south-east to an altitude of 2,200 metres.

(6) Cross the Teppier stream, where a sign indicates: "Baraque des Douaniers 15 minutes. Hospice du Petit Saint-Bernard 25 minutes". You will arrive heading east at the edge of the N90 road and cross the Torrent du Reclus. The Baraque des Douaniers is on the other side of the road, 100m further down. Crossing the torrent is the lowest point of this hike.

(7) Head north-east along the left bank of the Torrent du Reclus until you see the Hospice (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,151 m - Hospice du Petit Saint Bernard - Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard
  2. 1 : km 1.48 - alt. 2,425 m - Trail junction to Lac sans Fond
  3. 2 : km 1.95 - alt. 2,545 m - Schist base
  4. 3 : km 3.34 - alt. 2,929 m - Lancebranlette
  5. 4 : km 6.18 - alt. 2,461 m - Lac sans Fond (Bottomless Lake) 2,456 m.
  6. 5 : km 6.88 - alt. 2,383 m - Junction with the return trail to the Petit Saint-Bernard Hospice - Ruisseau de Teppi
  7. 6 : km 8.29 - alt. 2,196 m - Teppier stream, 2,200 m.
  8. 7 : km 9.25 - alt. 2,121 m - Edge of the RN 90 - Torrent du Reclus (cours d'eau)
  9. S/E : km 9.55 - alt. 2,151 m - Arrival - Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard

Notes

Marked trail; avoid filling water bottles downstream from herds of cows.
Good footwear, south-facing aspect allowing snow to melt early.

Worth a visit

Male ibex on the eastern ridge visible from the trail at a safe distance.
Take a break at Lac sans Fond.
Herds of Tarine sheep in a "Beaufortain" atmosphere
Hospice du Petit Saint-Bernard, new reception area with accommodation, restaurant, museum and tourist information in the renovated former hospice.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 27 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
poulbot75
poulbot75

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike completed in 3 hours and 40 minutes in perfect weather (a few clouds on the Piedmont side). It combines a summit of almost 3,000 metres with a magnificent panorama of the Mont Blanc massif and Mont Pourri with a relatively interesting climb (short vertical section) and a passage by the bottomless lake before returning to the hospice.
Reserved for experienced hikers.
Set off early to avoid the heat (no shade) and there are no water sources.

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Tib1505
Tib1505

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike!!!!
A few people at the lake, but very few on the climb up to Lancebranlette.
Three chamois less than ten metres away at the top of Lancebranlette 😍

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h.szeflinski
h.szeflinski

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very parish specific to Brittany... even without the ibexes!
the view from the orientation table = fantastic

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Sandrine P
Sandrine P

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is busy, so it's best to set off early to enjoy the ibex on the rocky outcrops when you arrive among the first climbers. After that...
True to the description, magnificent scenery...

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lgn68
lgn68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful view of Mont Blanc and the rest of the massif.
A physically demanding route, but with caution, everything goes well. The section going around and back is less interesting, but the scenery alone makes up for it.

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stephan_lefebvre
stephan_lefebvre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb climb offering panoramic views of Mont Blanc on one side and glaciers and Mont Pouri on the other.
We were lucky enough to come across some ibexes at close range.

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Pierre_Thns
Pierre_Thns

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike rewarded with a magnificent view of the bottomless lake. The hike was pleasant, and the start of the trail immediately immersed us in the surroundings. A major downside on the third stage: the trail is steep at the start but manageable, and after 20 minutes it becomes dangerous (do not attempt with children), especially at this time of year when there is still snow on the ground. You have to go around them, which quickly puts you in danger given the drop. I don't recommend doing this stage, as it doesn't add much to the hike (unless you're used to walking with poles and want to climb to the top of Lancebranlette). The rest of the trail is very well marked and very pleasant to walk on.

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Liguori
Liguori

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A fairly short hike starting from the Hospice du Petit-Saint-Bernard. The climb is a little tedious at first. The path has been levelled with a bulldozer to make it easier for mountain bikes. The final section is more interesting. This hike is particularly recommended for the truly exceptional views from the summit: Mont Blanc (20 km away), the Valais Alps as far as Monte Rosa, the Ecrins, etc.
I did it on a crisp autumn day with exceptional visibility. There were four of us at the summit. On the downside, there was a strong north-westerly wind and no shelter, which is often the case at Lancebranlette, apparently.
The alternative route via Lac sans Fond didn't seem very interesting to me. There were a lot of cows around the lake. I won't disturb them next time.

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Bisserain73
Bisserain73
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with generous panoramic views of the Alps stretching far beyond our borders.
Apart from one section that requires caution, the trail is fairly comfortable, with no roots or loose stones.
Lots of transalpine hikers.

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christiane Michaud
christiane Michaud

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

map and guidebook very good.
Thank you
Christiane Michaud

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Matthieu H
Matthieu H

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A little too crowded for me on the Bottomless Lake Trail, but a great hike with several friendly ibexes on the climb up Lancebranlette.

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yvesclaudealbert
yvesclaudealbert

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike but quite a tough climb at the start

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GR127
GR127

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route was completed in good weather with clear blue skies. The climb was quite tough as it starts straight away on a steep slope, with a slightly tricky section of schist, but this wasn't very long and we were rewarded with a magnificent view from the summit. We spotted two ibexes, which weren't very shy. At the bottomless lake, we had to go around it on the right because the path on the left was blocked by a large cow diving into the lake. We returned to the starting point via a track crossing mountain pastures dotted with cows and calves.

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m.dutour
m.dutour

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is magnificent in every way. Speaking of views, this hike is really best done in good weather, which was the case for us on Sunday 12 July, as the panorama during the climb and at the summit takes in almost all of the Northern Alps: Vanoise, the Italian and Swiss Alps (Matterhorn) and, of course, Mont Blanc, as if we were right there. The Petit St-Bernard Pass itself is worth the trip, with its small lakes and old hospice, which has been renovated and creates an old-fashioned atmosphere. One small downside to the description of the hike: the rocky section in the middle of the route towards the summit of Lancebranlette is not very well marked, and I would advise against it for people who are not used to the mountains or are prone to vertigo. We saw several people who were uneasy and struggling a little. Nothing very dangerous, but a bit tricky. You reach the summit fairly quickly as the slope is steep. The short loop around the bottomless lake is worth the effort, as it's a very pretty spot. We lost our way on the way down as there was still some snow covering the path, but it wasn't difficult to find our bearings using the map and get back on track a little further down.

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rage2001
rage2001

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The climb up this "almost 3,000-metre peak" starts at the old hospice on the Little Saint Bernard Pass. The higher you climb up this ridge, the more spectacular the views become, especially of the Swiss and Italian Alps. You can see the Matterhorn, perhaps the most beautiful peak in the Alps, 70 km away!
You also feel as if you could reach out and touch Mont Blanc, which faces you to the north.
On the way down, you turn off and head west towards the bottomless lake, nestled in its cirque and bordered by persistent snowfields.
Magnificent!

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