Mont Thabor and its twenty lakes

Warning:
Information on how to reach the starting point, as well as details regarding difficulties, alternative routes and precautions to take, are summarised in the ‘Practical Information’ and ‘During the Hike’ sections. Any difficult hike requires preparation, and this very difficult hike is no exception.

Signposting:
Much of the hike follows variants of^{the GR®57}, so the markings are red and white. Elsewhere, there are no markings, specifically between points 3 and 6, between 14 and 15, and between 2 and 18⁠‍, with the path being poorly marked or even non-existent between 4 and 6.

(S/E) From the car park, take the wide path to the north-west that passes between the houses and bars of Les Granges de la Vallée Étroite.

(1) Continue straight on along the path and follow it (north-west then north-north-west) to the bottom of the valley (Combe de la Mine).

(2) A signpost indicates Lac Lavoir and Mont Thabor to the left (west). Follow this direction, either via the winding track suitable for vehicles or via the more pleasant footpaths that cross it. The route turns northwards towards the Maison des Chamois, a white-painted mountain refuge. Pass this refuge and emerge from the scrub to enter the Clot Solide mountain pasture, heading due west.

(3) Leave the path and cross the undulating terrain of Clot Solide, heading due west until you reach a slope which you follow westwards to reach the stream bed (alternatively, stay on the path until you come to a footbridge over the stream; do not cross this footbridge, but turn left to follow the right bank of the stream westwards). Follow the stream upstream to Lac Lavoir.

(4) Go round the lake to the left to reach its tributary. Follow this tributary up, initially on the left bank, heading west, up a steep slope. When the slope levels off, cross the stream and head for the scree at the base of the Pierres du Tambour. Reach a small lake that is little more than a puddle, and turn northwards to climb up towards the Lacs de la Grande Tempête plateau.

(5) At the lakes, head up and round the uppermost lake to cross northwards, still off the path, and join the^GR® 57. Turn left here and follow it westwards. You will then come within sight of Lac Chardonnet (see also the alternative routes from this lake).

(6) Continue the ascent westwards, leaving the small eastern lake of the Col des Muandes on your right. You will reach the Col des Muandes.

(7) Climb up the path to the right (north) that runs along the ridge. This will take you to the Roche du Chardonnet.

(8) Continue along the ridge to the east-northeast, above the Lacs des Glaciers on the left, to reach the Col de Valmeinier.

(9) Cross the pass along its ridge and climb up to the left through the scree beneath the west face of the Roc de Valmeinier, following a curve that gradually turns north-northeast, to reach the Col de la Chapelle.

(10) Pass the pass, still heading north-northeast, and climb the ochre slope (or snowfields) of the cirque beneath the east face of the Pointe des Angelières. The path turns east and joins, at a small pass, the other variant of^{the GR®57}which climbs directly to the Thabor.

(11) Follow the^GR®57as it winds its way first northwards, then westwards, to reach the chapel and then the summit of Mont Thabor.

(12) From the summit, retrace your steps to the junction of the variants.

(11) Continue south-east on a steep descent. As you approach the Petit Adret hill, the path veers east to descend to the Col des Méandes.

(13) Continue eastwards on the^GR®57(do not descend to the right towards Lac du Vallon du Dîner). Reach the Sillon des Chances du Peyron, between alpine meadows on the left and black scree beneath the Grand Séru on the right, facing the Roche Bernaude. At the end of the gully, the^GR® begins a bend to the north and Lac du Peyron comes into view. Follow the path to the lake.

(14) Pass the lake’s outlet and head towards the Vallon du Peyron stream, without crossing it. Descend its right bank, on a fairly well-marked path, heading east-southeast. This path leads to the Plaine de Tavernette plateau, where it joins the GR^®.

(15) Follow this trail due south, on a very gentle descent, until you reach the tiny Lac de Tavernette on the left-hand side of the path.

(16) Continue the descent. Shortly after the lake, the path turns right before beginning a steep, winding descent to reach the bottom of the Vallée Étroite at the Pont de la Fonderie. Cross the bridge to reach the Combe de la Mine.

(2) Leave the^GR® you followed on the way up, turn left and head down towards the north-east along a track through a gently sloping meadow. Take the wooden footbridge crossing the Vallée Étroite stream. Then follow the track to the right, which comes to a steep slope. Climb the few hairpin bends up this slope and reach the meadows of a broad shoulder shaded by scattered larch trees. A faint path continues south-southeast; follow it, particularly where it branches off to the right flank of the shoulder and reaches a junction signposted Lac Vert. Follow the hairpin bends down to the lake to the left (east).

(17) Walk around the lake to the north and admire its emerald green waters. Once you reach the opposite end, head due south through the forest, passing a small pass cluttered with trees, to join the path on the left bank of the Vallée Étroite (alternatively, south of the lake, go back up the switchbacks you descended earlier, then head down towards the Ruisseau de la Vallée Étroite, and before the footbridge, turn left to join the same path on the left bank). Follow this path south-east to a house on the left bank, opposite a footbridge.

(18) Cross the footbridge, then head up to the left on the right bank towards the Chemin des Granges de la Vallée Étroite and rejoin the path taken on the way there.

(1) Turn left, cross the Granges de la Vallée Étroite and head straight down to the Granges de la Vallée Étroite car park (S/E).

?️ Park at the last car park in the Vallée Étroite, N 45.06893° / E 6.625558°. By clicking on this Waze link, you can enter these coordinates directly into your favourite navigation app.

? Water is plentiful near the lakes, but scarce between the Col des Muandes (7) and Lac du Peyron (14); make sure you bring enough.

? Dogs are allowed in Les Cerces, but it is best to keep your dog on a lead so as not to disturb the wildlife.

?‍♀️ The TD rating for this hike is primarily due to the combination of its length and elevation gain. A few off-trail sections require caution.

? Best undertaken in good weather to ensure easy navigation.

? The hike is well suited to bivouacking; the Lacs de la Grande Tempête (or Le Lavoir) are ideal spots.

? Standard hiking kit is sufficient. Early in the season, when snowfields are still present, ice axes and crampons make it easier to climb Thabor and also to cross the junction between the Valmeinier (9) and La Chapelle (10) passes, which are often covered in hard snow.

⏰ At the start of the season, it is essential to set off very early to ensure the snow is firm beneath the passes and summits facing due east. The slope beneath Thabor is steep and, if the snow is soft, crampons will not prevent a potentially dangerous slip.

? Navigation is easy in good weather, but a GPS — or of course the Visorando app — is recommended.

• The right and left banks are always defined in the orographic sense, i.e. relative to the direction of water flow.
• A tributary is a stream or watercourse feeding into a lake (the opposite is an outlet).
• Upstream is the direction towards the top (the mountain), downstream is the direction towards the bottom (the valley).
• The sun-facing slope is the side that receives the sun; the north-facing slope is its opposite.

? There is only one emergency number in France: 112. Other numbers (15, 17, or direct numbers…) have no priority on mobile networks, do not connect via other operators’ networks when there is no signal, and in the event of an overload of calls, ongoing calls are cut off to prioritise 112. So forget about them as soon as possible; they are dangerous and no longer serve any purpose (contrary to what some outdated training materials claim). If you cannot speak or hear, use 114 to communicate via text message. 112 works on any mobile phone (and landlines, of course), including on a locked phone and even if the SIM is blocked (however, since 2004, France has been in breach of European recommendations and blocks calls to 112 when there is no SIM in the phone. This blocking required special investment, as the GSM standard naturally allows calls without a SIM card. Taxpayers will appreciate this particularly clever use of public funds).

⚠️ Please note: if your call is cut off, it is your responsibility to call the emergency services again: they have no way of contacting or locating you if your network provider does not provide coverage. Remember to note down your GPS coordinates before calling, as the French government has still not deigned to equip mountain rescue centres with AML (Advanced Mobile Location) technology, despite this having been made mandatory by the EU since 2018.

? In the mountains, switch your phone to 2G: the range of this technology is 4 to 8 times greater than that of newer technologies, and it uses significantly less power. Remember to switch off your Wi-Fi, which drains the battery quickly and serves no purpose outside homes and offices. ? Bear in mind that your phone’s GPS works even in flight mode (GPS has nothing to do with mobile phone signals).

?Checklist

• ☑︎Essential in addition to standard hiking kit
• ☑︎ice axe and crampons until the start of the summer season
• ☑︎head torch (if setting off early in the morning)
• ☑︎1.5 L water bottle

• ☐optional
• ☐trekking poles
• ☐water filter

• ☒not needed
• ☒rope
• ☒climbing equipment

⚠️ As a general rule, treat IGN topographic maps with a pinch of salt (in my experience, the institute never corrects reported errors, even after serious accidents caused by these errors – see my profile for further details and an example). The base maps of the IGN topographic maps date back more than 25 years and have not been updated since (!). The free OpenStreetMap, updated by volunteers, is usually much more up to date; it is best to consult its OpenTopoMap version, which is easier to read.

? Alpine wildlife is less visible around the Thabor than in the rest of the Cerces, due to the high number of visitors to the summit. However, ibex are sometimes found on the western slopes below the Col de la Muande or the ridge leading towards the Grande Tempête, as well as on the slopes below the path between (8) and (11).

The Col de Valmeinier seen from the Col de la Chapelle

Lacquet below Mont Thabor

But what makes this route particularly photogenic are the lakes dotted along the way.

Lac Vert from the southern shore

Reflections of the Roc de Valmeinier and the Grand Adret in Lac Lavoir

This public album provides access to higher-resolution photos from my latest outing.

? Several variations are possible. At sunrise, a short detour via the Rocher du Tru will allow you to watch the Grand Séru being illuminated – a magnificent sight. This is a good option if you’re camping at Lac Lavoir. The off-trail route is described in this hike (stages 11 to 13).

Lac Chardonnet

The Col de Valmeinier seen from the Col de la Chapelle

? Explanation of some terms:

• ‘aup’ or ‘aulp’ refers to an alp, i.e. a place where herds graze in summer.
• A cairn is a pile of stones used as a landmark along a route. You can add cairns if you are sure of the route, and it is useful to replace stones that have fallen from a cairn.
• A ‘casse’ is a scree slope.
• a combe is a relatively wide valley or the hollow of a fold in the terrain.
• A muande is a shepherd’s hut.