The lakes and the Refuge des Sept Laux from Le Pleynet

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not very busy given the day (Monday) and the date (October).
The path is muddy and slippery with roots.
A section is closed, requiring a detour from the chalet to Lac Noir.
It would be better to start from Fond de France (more direct to see all the lakes).

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Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

It's a nice, very classic loop
No particular difficulty, a path across the slope on the way there. It's a bit long, but the real highlight is arriving at the lakes. If I go back to the lakes, I'll start from Fond de France

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Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant surprise upon arrival, beautiful scenery

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

A very pleasant hike from Le Pleynet.

The first part in the woods is really nice, especially in warm weather. You walk along the mountainside with a fairly gentle incline to warm up your legs. Numerous waterfalls and springs add to the beauty of the route.

The last part is a little more challenging, with a nice climb among the rocks. It's not necessarily difficult in itself, but with a heavy backpack, you'll need to use your hands to help you along at times. Not recommended for people who are not in good physical condition or with young children. This hike is not marked as difficult for nothing (special mention to the couple of hikers who sweated blood and tears to carry their child in a baby carrier to the top...)

The reward at the top is definitely worth the effort: the lakes reveal themselves one by one as the morning mist lifts. All that remains is to choose your favourite spot to eat.

I'm more reserved about the return loop. On the one hand, it shortens the route considerably and it's a nice downhill ride. But on the other hand, between points 9 and 10, the trail disappears and we had to cut through the woods to find our way back to point 10...

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

@IsaSif It's always difficult to give an objective opinion because everyone has their own fear of heights. But yes, on the crossing from Le Pleynet, there are sections of the trail on the side of the cliff, sometimes narrow, not particularly technical, but with a steep drop on your left.
Also, be careful because of rockfalls, the GRP, which serves as a guide, has been rerouted from point 4 - it no longer goes up to the right but to the left and joins the descent route at point 8.
The actual elevation gain is greater than 1,100 metres because there are many ascents and descents during the crossing

That said, the 7 Laux remains a magnificent hike and a must-do, but if I were to do it again, I would start from Fond de France.

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Hello,
A quick question about this hiking route: are there any vertiginous sections along the way? By vertiginous, I mean narrow passages close to the edge, whether technical or not.
Many thanks

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

i would describe this circuit as parish specific to Brittany, very technical and very difficult

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route with incredible views.
However, there is little point in doing the loop as the return journey offers few views and the path between the 9 and the finish is very difficult to find. I had to take the private path after the large pipe as it was impossible to find the famous passage on the left. I recommend doing the return journey via the same route as the outward journey.
The finish and the lakes are splendid, well worth the last steep climb

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Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike alternating between different aspects of the mid-mountain range with springs scattered throughout. Be careful, however, as there are some steep sections. This circuit may seem challenging for some people. As you gain altitude, the passage before arriving at Trou de la Vielle is quite steep, but the view is magnificent. It's a reward for your efforts. A beautiful walk.

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike
With a fairly steep climb over large rocks, what a reward at the end!
We continued on to Lake Cottepens... very beautiful
The way back, just at the end, isn't easy to find and isn't very clear, but it's not very long... quite busy

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Date of your route : Aug 07, 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 on a not-too-hot day in August. Be careful during heatwaves, as most of the route is exposed to the sun.
The landscapes are varied and the plateau with the lakes at the end is magnificent.
I was a little apprehensive about the final climb back to the car park, given the reviews. It is certainly steep, but not very long. It may seem difficult mainly because it comes at the very end when you are already exhausted
This last section is not marked and, indeed, the vegetation takes over, making the small path very difficult to see. However, when you leave the main forest path to tackle this climb, there are two possibilities a few metres higher up. The map shows a right turn, and the path then becomes less and less visible. If you go straight ahead, it seems that the path remains well marked all the way to the car park.

The map data can be misleading because there are many hairpin bends and ascents/descents that are not taken into account in the distance and elevation gain indicated. My watch showed a little less than 17km and 1400m elevation gain, and I followed the route on the map exactly

Happy hiking, everyone!

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Starting from the car park opposite the tourist office, this is a very good hike with two streams along the way.

The last 2 km are very steep on rocks. 2 hours 55 minutes for 10 km to the refuge, quite challenging

Superb lakes at the summit, swimming is very welcome to recharge your batteries before the long descent, especially in hot weather.

Bonus: no need to carry 5 litres of water thanks to the streams and the refuge

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike, quite challenging but well worth the effort for the spectacular view of the lakes at the end!
I did a round trip hike along the same route, between (E) and (6). I extended it beyond the refuge to the Col des 7 Laux.
Between points (3) and (4), there are two streams to cross without a footbridge (high, waterproof shoes are recommended!) and the path is very uneven (constantly going up and down)!
The same applies between the refuge and the pass, with a succession of ascents and descents.
The trail is very rocky and quite steep between Cul de la Vieille and the point (5)
My track showed a total elevation gain of 1,100 metres over 21 kilometres.

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Date of your route : Sep 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. The landscape changes as you climb higher.
The uphill trail is very busy
The descent is much wilder and less crowded
The last slope below the car park is unclear. The trail requires you to cross the old ski slope. When you reach the summit, there appears to be a path coming from the left, but I don't know if you can join it further down.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, our first in the Belledonne mountains. My daughter took charge of navigation and found the way ;-) . We saw some spotted nutcrackers on the way up and down, but not many other animals. Beautiful lakes, quite empty, but this year is a bit unusual.

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