Arsine Lake

The Lac d'Arsine, which has been split in two for several years, nestles in the cirque formed by the Agneaux and Neige Cordier mountains and is a real gem.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.61 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,127 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,130 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 8,061 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4,931 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park at the entrance to Le Casset when coming from Monêtier les Bains.
(S/E) Cross the village until you reach the second bridge over the Guisane.

(1) Cross the river and follow theGR®54signs for the Tour de l'Oisans. Stay on the wide track that runs along the left bank of the Petit Tabuc torrent. Cross the bridge and start the climb, either via the track or the shortcuts that cut across the bends.
Reach a new bridge over the Glacier du Casset torrent.

(2) Take the track on the left, which quickly becomes a path, and you will reach the Lac de la Douche.

(3). Cross the lake on the low stone wall to reach its left bank. (Please note that IGN maps show the path on the right bank: this is the old path, which was moved to the left bank several years ago).
Then tackle a steep climb, made very easy by an absolutely remarkable route. You will then reach the large plain of Réou d'Arsine.
After passing the place called "Les Chalets d'Arsine" (sign), continue for about 100 metres to a crossroads.

(4) Take the path on the left (look carefully for this path as the cairn that marked it seems to have disappeared).
Follow this good path which joins the one going up to the pass, stay on this new path, cross the bridge over the stream flowing from the lakes. You will then reach the two lakes, now separated by a dam.
Note: if you cannot find this path, continue to the Col d'Arsine and take the wide track on the left that leads to the lakes.

(5). Return by the same route. An alternative route is possible by reaching the Col d'Arsine, then turning right onto theGR®54to reach the cairn crossroads.

(4) Retrace your steps to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,934 ft - Caset car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.22 - alt. 4,970 ft - Bridge over the Guisane
  3. 2 : mi 1.36 - alt. 5,531 ft - Petit Tabuc footbridge
  4. 3 : mi 2.17 - alt. 6,240 ft - Lac de la Douche
  5. 4 : mi 4.02 - alt. 7,674 ft - Carrefour du Cairn
  6. 5 : mi 4.79 - alt. 8,058 ft - Lacs d'Arsine
  7. S/E : mi 9.61 - alt. 4,931 ft - Caset car park

Notes

There are numerous water points along this route.
Simply fill your bottles or water bottles at the various springs that emerge from the ground alongside the trail.
The Lac de la Douche is a good place to stop before tackling the climb.

You are hiking in the heart of the Ecrins 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 them when preparing your hike to help preserve this shared heritage at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Worth a visit

A remarkable hike at this time of year (12 July):
- flowers are in abundance: orange lilies and martagon lilies, orchids, rhododendrons,
- the melting snow swells the Petit Tabuc torrent, which in its upper meanders offers remarkable colours ranging from blue to green and the grey of the moraine sand,
- animals are usually present, but today we only encountered two particularly peaceful marmots.
Nearby are Monêtier les Bains and its water sports centre, further down the Serre Chevalier complex and, of course, the UNESCO town of Briançon.

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 58 reviews

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

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, varied and long route. Crowded until you reach Lac de la Douche, then less so. The Arsine lakes are not as beautiful as Lac de la Douche, but the high mountain panorama is worth it.
It's difficult to find the shortcut before climbing up to the Arsine Pass (4): the easiest option is to go all the way to the pass. On the way down, we managed to find the marked trail. The very end isn't very clear either, but it doesn't matter. There is a water source a few metres below the shepherd's hut at the first Réou d'Arsine lake when climbing from Lac de la Douche.

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Laurence du Béal
Laurence du Béal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We left at 8 a.m., which allowed us to avoid the crowds and the heat on the way up. We decided to only go as far as the Arsine Pass because one of us preferred to stay at the Lac de la Douche and wait for us.
On the way back, that's where we encountered a lot of people.
In any case, it was a beautiful hike.

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brouillaud
brouillaud

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent route with marmots everywhere ☺️ The slightly more difficult section after the lake is easy enough, but it's best to be well equipped. Hiking boots and walking sticks are recommended for added comfort. We opted to access the lake via the slightly longer pass, which avoids a rather uninteresting off-trail section and means you don't trample the plants. In good weather, it must get quite busy in the height of summer as the site is so beautiful, but if you set off early in the morning, it's never too crowded.

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Marmotte05
Marmotte05

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Beautiful hike with lots of rhododendrons.

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Marmotte05
Marmotte05

A magnificent hike in mid-June. A little-used trail. Lots of rhododendrons.

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JMJ38
JMJ38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike, no technical difficulty

However, it is quite a busy hike...

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vbpartage
vbpartage
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Hike on 27/05/2025 in sunshine.

Few people at the top at that time.

We went up in the cold at 7:30 am. We didn't make it to the Lac d'Arsine. We stopped just before because there are still some neves. The more adventurous will go...

The main difficulty of the route is the climb from the Lac de la Douche. It's a very steep climb, with gravel and sometimes slippery conditions.

It's easy on the way up but you need to be careful and wear good shoes on the way down to avoid slipping.

Once at the top, keep quiet and observe the sides of the valley. We were treated to chamois on the way up and on the way down.

What's more, many marmots will pass you by without a care in the world.

A very beautiful and demanding hike, but one that rewards the hiker.

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Gilles5
Gilles5

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in a beautiful setting.
A variant, for the descent from the Col d'Arsine, is to go to the Col du Lautaret (but you need to have a car there beforehand). To do this, you also need to be aware that part of the route crosses steep slopes (with a bit of a drop) for about 1 km, just before reaching the Col du Lautaret.

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Jfred13
Jfred13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This was an autumn hike with a late start at around 10:45 am. We thought we were going to the Lac de la Douche but the wonder of autumn brought us to the Col d'Arzine. It was a very sunny day, but not very crowded. The route is well signposted, but the Visorando trail wasn't much use to us. The climb is gradual, steep in places, but not particularly difficult. We've been hiking every weekend for 3 years. We didn't reach the lake due to lack of time. The photo breaks delayed us. It was getting dark. The return journey from the Col d'Arzine takes less than 2 hours. We had lunch in 20 minutes and got back to the car around 4.20pm.

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pdereumaux
pdereumaux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice walk, the description is well detailed and the route easy to follow. The route was fairly busy, but not excessively so. The weather was fine, with a very nice, cool but sunny day. Just after the Lac de la Douche, the climb is fairly steady and progresses through a number of switchbacks. On reaching the Col d'Arsine, the final ascent to the lakes is on a well-marked track.

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PERRET Alain
PERRET Alain

Be careful, the shortcut to avoid the Col d'Arsine is not really a path, but rather a series of discontinuous sheep tracks. There are no cairns at the start.
Still doable if you like to get off the beaten track.

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Nanou 83
Nanou 83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely hike. A slightly steep but pleasant climb. The marmots welcome you at the pass.

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Maxou_serreche
Maxou_serreche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk, the blue colour of the various lakes is heavenly. No difficulty if you're at least sporty. Quite a few people up to Lac de la Douche, but it calms down after that as far as Lac d'Arsine.

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lougris
lougris
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Thank you Bernardino for proposing this magnificent hike. I left at 7.00 am, so there were no people on the way up, but lots on the way down, in the opposite direction. Lac d'Arsine is not beautiful (for my taste) but the route to get there is superb.
The start is shaded.
On the way out I went over the col, and on the way back I followed the track, which I found to be a more sensible route.
For a hiker, this outing presents no difficulties. If you're a walker, I advise you to set off in the morning, 9am at the latest, and to go over the Col d'Arsine on the way out and on the way back.
Enjoy the walk!

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pechal
pechal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A truly magnificent walk.
The first part is fairly easy as far as Lac de la Douche, with a climb through the larch forest.
Then a steeper slope with a magnificent winding path superbly laid out (steps, low walls, etc.) making this part very accessible.
making this part very accessible.
Then a long, gentle slope to the Col d'Arsine.
Access to the lakes on the Arsine glacier is via a path that is also superbly laid out across the old front moraine of the Arsine glacier.
Hurry as the glacier will soon disappear completely! (I came here exactly 45 years ago and was able to see for myself how the glacier was retreating).
Finally, I'd like to thank the people who develop and maintain this trail (local authorities, other communities, etc.) because it makes this hike much more accessible and beautiful.

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