The Pontet Lake

Date of walk : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A lovely little walk with beautiful views of the valley and La Meije.
The only downside is how busy it gets.
In the height of summer, if you like peace and quiet, you'll need to come back in the off-season.

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Date of walk : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

We followed the suggested route to the lake without difficulty, then walked around the lake. Instead of going straight back down, we continued along a path that climbs slightly to the left of the lake and followed a path that climbs gently through the fields to the Aiguillon, which some of us climbed. A magnificent route through fields of flowers. We descended to the car park via a path through the fields to rejoin the road and the suggested route.

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Date of walk : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Easy to find and navigate, this walk is accessible to everyone.

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Date of walk : Jul 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very beautiful hike - Magnificent surroundings
The route as described here cannot be followed, as it now crosses private property and parks with enclosed animals that cannot be crossed. It needs to be revised.
There is a marked trail higher up (shown as a dotted line on Visorando), but the start is difficult to find, and the dotted line is unnecessary as the trail is very well marked. It climbs quite steeply through flower-filled mountain pastures and is beautiful and uncrowded. You then rejoin the main road and the crowds... but there is plenty of space.
It is regrettable that many people swim in the lake and pollute it, despite the large signs advising against it (also in English).

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Date of walk : May 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : Yes

A short, easy walk with the outward journey along a non-existent path and the return journey along the road. The path itself isn't particularly interesting, but the view at the end is incredible.
Quite a few people for a Sunday in May; it must be very busy in summer.
Did it with a 5-year-old child without any problems.

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Date of walk : Aug 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A very family-friendly tour with gentle slopes and very easy access. The setting is pleasant and rural. Lots of people around the lake.

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Date of walk : Aug 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

A very family-friendly route on wide paths. Very popular because the lake, although small, white and muddy, attracts many people. The climb to the pass from the lake is steep and discourages many people.

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Date of walk : Jun 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

a gentle hike to warm up for more physically demanding hikes
beautiful views

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Date of walk : Mar 06, 2015
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Clarity of route map : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

This is a hike that the locals in Briançon regularly do in winter on snowshoes, but we also do it in summer when we want to take a short trip to admire the peaks of the Meije massif reflected in the lake.
I made a video with the names of the peaks from our 2015 winter hike, which shows the route and the atmosphere of our
journey.
You'll also see the lake in summer. The contrast is striking.
https://youtu.be/VmUuA2EtrBg

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Date of walk : Jul 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

main attraction: easy and accessible to almost everyone...

To do this hike, it's best to park at the entrance to the hamlet of Les Cours, as there are no spaces between the houses and numerous signs indicate that parking here is not appreciated. A car park should be built further down, as the ones higher up spoil the view and you would end up parking almost at the edge of the lake...

The route on the map refers to a path that does not exist/no longer exists, and you end up crossing ravines, which is potentially dangerous! As we are adventurous, we managed to get out of it, but still... It's a shame because otherwise it was more interesting than going by the road....

The lake is indeed very busy, with swimmers and a caravan serving as a bar/snack bar... with a dog barking to play with the children... :-/

The view is nevertheless nice with the Meije glacier opposite.

Recommended for beginners, with walking shoes.

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Date of walk : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Well, to be honest, the hike itself wasn't that interesting for us... But this lake is amazing! What a setting! What a view!
And finally, at the end of the day, the light was beautiful and there weren't many people around.

For those who don't want to walk, or at least not too much, the car park is a good alternative

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Date of walk : Aug 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The appeal of this hike is that it is very easy, making it suitable for people who don't have the desire or ability to walk for long periods of time. You can choose to start either from the hamlet of Les Cours or from one of the two car parks located below the lake. If you park at the last car park, the climb is very short (about 15 to 20 minutes).
It's not the prettiest lake in the region, but from the northern shore, the view of the glaciers in the background is stunning. This allows beginners to discover beautiful mountain landscapes without any difficulty. Children can also access the lake.
Of course, for seasoned mountaineers, this hike is of little interest except to accompany beginners who will be thrilled by the view.

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Date of walk : Aug 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Well, rather disappointed
We went for a walk this afternoon
It's a public lake, easily accessible, people swim there, sunbathe...
Needless to say, it's packed with people
The setting isn't exceptional; there are much nicer places

as for the route on the map, it's very average. Following the path, the real-time GPS route deviates from the map, even though we followed the only path. After that, it was impossible to get lost. The return trip by road was uninteresting

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Date of walk : Jul 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

lovely lake and beautiful views of snow-capped mountains

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Date of walk : Sep 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very beautiful lake! Thank you for suggesting this lovely walk

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