Lake Tavaneuse and Tête du Cheval

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A very beautiful lake in a wild setting, with the added bonus of a small peak overlooking it.

Details

n°80385
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.07 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 788 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 788 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,931 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,143 m
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From the Tavaneuse chalets

Description of the walk

Parking at Prétairié (car park), at the end of the road that leaves the village of Abondance and passes through Plan de Charmy.

(S/E) Take the track that starts at the end of the car park (south) and makes two bends, first to the right and then to the left.

(1) At a fork in the track in the next bend, take a path on the left towards Lac de Tavaneuse. Climb very steeply through sparse vegetation. After crossing a stream, climb up into the forest.

(2) At an intersection, continue left on a path that is initially gentle but then climbs steeply in hairpin bends. Pass close to a waterfall, then the Chalets de Tavaneuse (abandoned). Reach Lac de Tavaneuse.

(3) Walk along the left side of the lake and follow a path eastwards. This path winds its way up to a pass separating Tavaneuse and Entre Deux Pertuis (elevation 1913 m; unnamed pass on IGN maps).

(4) Take a path on the left that runs along a narrow grassy ridge (caution). After a series of short ascents and descents, you will reach the summit of Tête du Cheval.

(5) The descent follows the same route as the ascent to Prétarié (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,143 m - Prétarié - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.72 - alt. 1,249 m - Junction
  3. 2 : km 1.22 - alt. 1,440 m - Intersection
  4. 3 : km 2.39 - alt. 1,807 m - Lac de Tavaneuse
  5. 4 : km 2.78 - alt. 1,912 m - Unnamed pass - Access to the - Tête du Cheval
  6. 5 : km 3.04 - alt. 1,931 m - Tête du Cheval - View of the - Lac Léman
  7. S/E : km 6.07 - alt. 1,143 m - Prétarié - Car park

Notes

Hiking boots essential. No water source identified (the lake water is not considered drinkable).

N.B. The path marked in purple on the 1:25,000 map between elevation 1431 southwest of the Chalets des Serranats and the point (2) is closed by municipal decree until 30 June 2024 due to rock falls and protective works. For this reason, the route proposed here takes what was previously a very steep shortcut between points (1) and (2) instead of a gentler route via elevation 1431. Thank you to hiker agnesdickson and hiker Benoît V. for reporting the closure of the original trail.

Variation:
Lac de Tavaneuse alone - The lake (3) offers a beautiful wild setting and can be the sole destination of a hike.

A 1:25,000 map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed twice by the author, the first time on 27 July 1993, the second on 28 July 2008.

Worth a visit

Lake Tavaneuse offers a beautiful wild setting. In summer, it is possible to swim there (provided you are not too sensitive to the cold).

From the summit of Tête du Cheval, there is a lovely view of Dent d'Oche, Mont Chauffé and Cornettes de Bise.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 25829231

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A beautiful walk, a little steep at the beginning
But on 15 May, there were still snowdrops and snakes...
But a lovely day out for the family

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SethTour
SethTour

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Top notch!

Difficult or even very difficult hike for those who are not used to it, but it's worth the effort.
Avoid carrying overly heavy backpacks and bring sufficient water (at least 3 litres per person for the round trip).

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nical74
nical74

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello
We did the Prétairié - Lac de Tavaneuse section at the beginning of December. There was very little snow at the bottom, but a lot from halfway up.
We took the "shortcut", which is steep but easier to navigate than the section before the Tavaneuse chalets. That section is very steep and tiring with snow cover. We were on snowshoes and I didn't regret not having skis at all!
We went up on the afternoon of day 1 and came back down on the morning of day 2. It was overcast on day 1, and we didn't see the sun until we got back to Abondance!
But what nature! Chamois, a few birds (ptarmigans?), 1.5 metres of snow at the lake.
We finished the climb at the Col des 2 Perthuis (also a very steep climb) to admire the view of the Ardens chalets.
We could see avalanches in the distance, but we weren't really worried about our route, although we're no experts...
Thank you, Visorando.

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fab1066
fab1066

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

sporty hike

stunning views

Once at the lake, it is best to return to the starting point via the Entre 2 Pertuis trail.

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edgsabella
edgsabella

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

As it had rained the day before, the course was slippery. Watch out for slipping!

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aglaaae
aglaaae

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I wanted to do the route at the end of April, but it wasn't possible to go all the way to the lake because there were small avalanches.
So I climbed up to Pic de la Corne (2,080 m), which was accessible all the way to the top. It was a very steep climb before Col de Damoz les Moulins, but the view from the ridge and the summit was magnificent!

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amzi
amzi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike amid the colours of autumn. The climb up to the lake was quite wet because the sun came out late. The lake is magnificent and there were few people there. The view of the Abondance valley is superb! We came back down via Entre-Deux-Pertuis, which is quite steep all the way down and very slippery at this time of year, but with caution it's perfectly doable.

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JLG01
JLG01

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely little lake. There are several options, including continuing on to Lac des Plagnes. It's very pleasant up to Chalets d'Ardens, then it's a track, but you can stop for a coffee at Lac des Plagnes (car park and restaurant).
Next time, we'll try the Col de Taveuse and the Roc du même nom.

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vercorette
vercorette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Steep climb to Lake Tavaneuse; I do not recommend taking the shortcut, which can be very slippery (we met people who had taken it and had some difficulty).
The reward is well worth it: a beautiful lake and a refreshing, but pleasant swim.
The return trip via Entre deux Pertuis is pleasant because it is a better path, less steep and drier, as well as being a prettier alternative.

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espritlibre
espritlibre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

As it had rained the day before, the path was slippery in places, so I took care. I took the path to the left of the fork, which was a little steep but not too much, and then you can feel the rest of the climb in your legs. A well-deserved rest by the lake, then on towards the pass to the Tête du Cheval, a very beautiful landscape. The return journey was towards Entre Deux Pertuis to reach the Prétairié car park.
A lovely walk, and what's more, there are several variations you can try again.

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everesto
everesto

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The path down past the cabins should not be used as it is dangerous and not maintained.

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