The Five Lakes of Forclaz

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
I would like to make three observations about this hike
- Getting to the Platte Fort car park by car is no easy feat, but it is possible thanks to some improvements (tarmac on the bends) that have been made
- i would describe the hike as "moderate" in terms of difficulty due to the significant elevation gain (740 metres over 12 kilometres) recorded on my hiking software
-i recommend taking a look at the small cheese shop in the car park: they are producers who make their own cheese (goat and cow), which I found to be excellent
this hike is superb, with beautiful wild lakes surrounded by sharp-peaked mountains
Thanks to the route designer

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Date of your route : Aug 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This is an easy hike starting from Fort de la Platte, unlike the other one from Roselend, which passes through the Combe de la Nova and is dangerous. Here, there are no difficulties and not too many slopes either. The walk to the lakes is easy, and they are all very beautiful! Don't stop at the last lake, continue a little further towards the Col de la Nova, where you are likely to come across a herd of ibex. With a little patience and caution, it is possible to approach them discreetly. They will have spotted you, but as long as you keep a safe distance, they will not move and will let you observe them quietly. However, there is no point in trying to follow them if they decide to run away! A very beautiful hike!

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice walk. No technical difficulties. We really enjoyed it

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Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, starting from the GAEC des 5 lacs car park (Fort de la Platte).
We climbed up with a herd of goats to the Col de la Forclaz, and then we entered sheep country.
The 5 lakes are magnificent, each with their own charm. As the weather was fine, we climbed above the Lac Noir on the ridges. What a view!
To reach the car park near the fort, take the small road called Les Echines. After the wooden cross, the road becomes a track for 2.5 km, but the bends are tarmacked, which makes for easier driving. Early in the morning, we only came across one other vehicle.
The GAEC farmers are very friendly and run a small refreshment stand where they sell their cheese.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 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 starting from Fort de la Platte

We weren't alone, but there's room for everyone!

Please note that to reach the Fort de la Platte car park (at the GAEC des 5 Lacs), it is best to take the road from Bourg St Maurice via Les Echines Dessous, then Les Echines Dessus, and finally the Route du Grand Replat. Your GPS may suggest (in theory, as a shorter route) going via Le Villaret, but the road is more uncertain and even complicated without a 4x4. In fact, in Le Villaret, there are signs advising you not to follow your GPS... (but without indicating the alternative route via Les Echines)

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Access to the final car park may seem complicated. But it's still easy to drive. However, passing other vehicles can be tricky. But that's a minor inconvenience compared to this magnificent hike. As the car park is much lower down, the hike is long but easy. And so beautiful!

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. Magnificent landscapes. No difficulties apart from the car access, which was a bit chaotic at the end.

Plus, you can buy cheese when you arrive

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Contrary to previous reviews, access to Fort La Platte is easy, and the road is perfectly passable, so there is no need to park before the road and walk an extra 6 km (there and back)!
A very beautiful hike with no particular difficulties.
A must-do!

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Thanks for the clarification about the tarmac bends, which weren't tarmac before.
bisserain73

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, the lakes are magnificent. No technical difficulties (done with a 7 year old). It's well worth the climb to the ridge just above Lac Noir: a beautiful view of Mont Blanc. The road is impressive over the last two km, but it went without a hitch in a Citroën Berlingo. The road is passable and the bends are tarmac and fairly wide.

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In reply to the review left by JFC73:
"As it's hardly possible to do this hike from the valley, if you don't have a suitable vehicle, it's best to look elsewhere ..."

It is possible to start the hike from the wooden cross, which is 4 km from Les Echines Dessus, which is what I did, not wanting to use my vehicle for the last part of the stony road to the Fort de la Platte.
An extra 45 minutes on the way up, less than 30 on the way down.
It is also possible to leave from the Les Echines Dessus car park and climb to the lakes via the Vallée des Sapieux and return via the Fort de la Platte and the Fort du Truc, which is an alternative for good walkers...
So there's absolutely no need to leave from the valley if you don't have a suitable vehicle, as you mentioned, as the road to Les Echines poses no problem, and the same goes for the wooden cross ...

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Having a fairly low-slung vehicle (a Peugeot 307 SW Estate) and not wanting to take any unnecessary risks, I parked 4km after Les Echines Dessus, where there is a wooden cross and two signs indicating the Fort de la Platte and the Thuile de Vulmix.
The time given for the Fort is 1 hour 05 minutes, but I got there in 45 minutes. So I was right to choose this option. The hike is not at all difficult, and given that I'd started walking at 6.30am, there were just a few hikers who'd bivouacked near the lakes. I arrived at Lac Noir just before 10am, having taken a few breaks at the other lakes. The weather was very sunny with no clouds.
I was tempted to continue to the collet de l'antécime de la Pointe Motte (2675 M), but as I had climbed to the Aiguille de la Grande Sassière (3747 M) the day before, and as I had to get to Aix-les-Bains after the hike, I'll have to do it another time, possibly starting from Les Échines Dessus and taking the Vallée des Sapieux route...
It took me 1 hour 45 minutes to get back to my car, and even though it was only midday, the heat was already making itself felt!
17 kilometres and 1030 metres of ascent.

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The site is superb, but to get to Fort de la Platte the road is very narrow and sometimes not tarmacked. It's very difficult to pass each other by car, especially with a van.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route, a nice walk for a midsummer morning. Later on, it gets quite crowded and relatively exposed to the sun, so it can get hot! The 5 lakes are very beautiful and the view from the Col de Forclaz is superb. Make sure you bring a jacket, as the air is cold on arrival, especially if you've been sweating!
Finally, regarding access to the starting point via the êchines: I almost didn't do the hike in view of the comments. It would have been a shame. The road over about 10km is very narrow indeed and it's almost impossible to cross except in the hairpins. Otherwise, you have to reverse, which is not necessarily easy and can be a bit long... Tip from the locals: as visibility is good, anticipate +++ as there are areas on the side of the road that are a little wider and allow you to cross. Otherwise, the road conditions are fine: with a saloon car, I didn't have to worry about the underbody rubbing.

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