Lac des Bèches from Champhorent

This hike will take you through the magnificent Lavey (or Muande) valley with its stone bridges and waterfalls, the Lavey refuge, a reminder of a bygone mountain farming life, and, in a wild and beautiful setting, the turquoise waters of Lac des Bèches, dominated by the Aiguille des Arias and its immense scree slopes.
From there, the panorama stretches from the Aiguille du Plat de la Selle and the Dibona to the north, to the Tête des Fétoules and the Aiguille de l'Olan to the south.

Details

n°14817031

Creation:
14 Sep 2021

Last update:
25 Aug 2023

Last review:
19 Sep 2023

Activity: Walking
Distance: 14.58 km
Average duration: 7h 25
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,144 m
Descent: - 1,144 m
Highest point: 2,408 m
Lowest point: 1,421 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Dauphiné
District: Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans (38520)
Start/End: N 44.935513° / E 6.199942°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3336ET, 3336ETR
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Photos

Zoom in on the Aiguille Dibonna and the Soreiller refuge at its foot.

Description of the walk

Park in the Champhorent car park, accessible below the D530.

(S/E) Take the path down to the Vénéon (towards the Refuge de la Lavey). This well-paved path (which you will have to climb back up on the way back!) leads to the magnificent Rajas stone bridge over the Vénéon.

(1) Cross the bridge and, after a fairly steep climb, you will reach the Raja chalets and the small oratory of the Virgin and Child.

(2) Head south until you reach a fork in the road as you approach Combe de la Valla.

(3) Ignore the path that branches off to the left towards Lac des Fétoules. Continue along the well-marked path, which follows the Ruisseau de la Muande stream and leads to a second stone bridge, less imposing than the first but just as charming.

(4) Cross this bridge and continue along the left bank of the Ruisseau de la Muande. Turn immediately left and continue along the easy path, still heading south.

(5) A small wooden footbridge allows you to cross the Clouse stream, which flows directly from Lac des Bèches. Continue towards the mountain pastures of the upper Lavey valley and the refuge of the same name.

(6) Continue along the path beyond the refuge, following the signs for Lac des Bèche. The path quickly turns south-west and the slope gradually becomes steeper. Although a little uneven in places, the going is not particularly difficult and there are no tricky aerial passages. At the end of the path is Lac des Bèches.

(7) Follow the same route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,559 m - Champhorent car park
1 : km 0.7 - alt. 1,421 m - Pont des Rajas
2 : km 1.11 - alt. 1,551 m - Chalets de la Raja
3 : km 1.86 - alt. 1,661 m - Fourche
4 : km 3.38 - alt. 1,696 m - Stone bridge
5 : km 4.38 - alt. 1,755 m - Wooden footbridge
6 : km 4.8 - alt. 1,799 m - Refuge de la Lavey
7 : km 7.26 - alt. 2,408 m - Lac des Bèches
S/E : km 14.58 - alt. 1,559 m - Champhorent car park

Notes

Access to the starting point:

From Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, continue along the road towards La Bérarde and pass the hamlet of Pré Clot.
Shortly before Champhorent, turn right (large sign: Champhorent car park – Mandatory – Departure from La Lavey) and park in the car park below the D530.

Difficulty:

The route does not present any particular technical difficulties. Only the length of the hike (nearly 15 km) and the total elevation gain (nearly 1,200 m) justify its classification as "difficult".

Orientation is also not a problem. Up to the Refuge de la Lavey, there are yellow markings and numerous signposts. From the refuge to Lac des Bèches, there are signposts at the start, then numerous cairns and a clear path. At the start of the season, there may still be snowfields at the top of the trail.

The climb to Lac des Bèches from the refuge is undoubtedly the most physically demanding part of the hike. While not daunting, it does require a certain amount of energy to cover the 600 m elevation gain from the refuge. For those who are not in great shape, the refuge can be the destination of the walk, allowing them to enjoy the rural and mountain charm of the splendid Lavey valley.
It is also possible to continue walking at a leisurely pace towards the bottom of the valley.

Lavey Refuge:

During the guarded period (mid-June to mid-September), the refuge offers drinks and snacks.
Outside the guarding period, the refuge remains open for hikers who want to spend the night there, but beware: there is no water, no heating, no gas and no sanitary facilities.

Écrins National Park: this hike takes place in the heart of the park, where strict regulations apply. For example:

No dogs, even on a leash.
No picking or collecting: animals, plants, minerals and fossils.
No fires.
No camping. Bivouacking is permitted from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. at least one hour's walk from road access points.

For more information, visit the Écrins National Park website.

Worth a visit

The Rajas bridge over the Vénéon and the bridge further upstream in the valley over the Muande stream date from the 17th century. As for the old hamlet of La Raja, its existence was already mentioned in the Middle Ages.

The Oratory of the Virgin and Child in La Raja.

In small, isolated hamlets at high altitude, which had no chapels, there were many oratories. These were local places of worship, often dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and were an important part of religious life in these remote areas.

The Refuge de la Lavey: the buildings formed a small alpine hamlet where local farmers practised summer grazing.
Around the refuge, in addition to flocks of sheep, you can see chamois, marmots, foxes and birds. On our way up to Lac des Bèches, we were lucky enough to spot a flock of griffon vultures.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5

Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5

Ease of following the route
5 / 5

Route interest
4.8 / 5

christianlouis

19 Sep 2023 at 08:53 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty valley -

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cathycoco

11 Sep 2023 at 08:38 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
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. We follow the pleasant stream and can cool off at any time.
A very hot day.
Magnificent stone bridges
A beautiful day.

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Jacques L1.

24 Aug 2023 at 16:31 7200 • Edited: 24 Aug 2023 at 16:32 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly beautiful hike. It was tough going, but I loved it. The two stone bridges, the beauty of the Ecrins massif, the valley that follows the Muande torrent and Lake Bèches at the top. The watercourse is called a stream, but on a red heatwave alert day like 23 August 2023, the glaciers were sweating profusely (like me) and the stream was a torrent! At the Raja bridge, the Lavey waterfall was worthy of Niagara Falls!
The first part to point 2 involved a descent from the car park, then a short but slightly steep climb to the charming chalets of La Raja. Then a superb path ran alongside the torrent to the La Lavey refuge, very well located in this valley (a place to stay for a night with children or grandchildren). After a glass of Kipik water at the refuge and a short break, I climbed up to Lake Bèches, which was difficult for me due to the heat that had risen on this scorching day and my lack of training. But the reward of the view at the top and the coolness and beauty of the turquoise lake made me forget my fatigue! The descent was easy, except for the final short climb to the car park in 34-degree heat, which drained my last reserves of energy.
Advantages of this hike: plenty of water available with waterfalls, streams, torrents and a refuge. I must have drunk at least 4 litres on this hot day + frequent dipping of my hat in cold water.
Tip: avoid doing this hike on a red alert heatwave day!
Thank you for this very nice hike.

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Xama

14 Aug 2023 at 12:04 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2023
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, with lots of variety and the option to stop at the refuge if you don't want to climb and then descend the 600 metres to Lac des Brèches (at 2,400 metres). But the glacial lake is well worth the detour and the effort, with its stunning turquoise blue colour... Throughout the walk, you follow streams, which is very pleasant in summer, and you cross two very typical stone bridges🌞 Yes, it's a superb place!

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~Justine~

17 Jul 2023 at 09:00 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

One of my most beautiful hikes in the Ecrins massif!
Set off early in the morning to enjoy the lake, waterfalls and Veneon river.
The beer at the refuge is also very nice 😊
No real difficulties, but it's a relatively long hike, so you need to be fairly used to walking 😉

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Author

tchoumi
10 Walks

Visorando member

District: Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte (38250)

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