The Sept Laux from Fond-de-France

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Hike between lakes and mountains around the Refuge des Sept Laux.

Details

n°3245330
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.28 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,062 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,057 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,150 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,093 m
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Photos

lake Dec Otepens
Lac de Cottepens
Lac de Cottepens

Description of the walk

Park in the car park reserved for hikers and not in the car park of the hotel in the hamlet of Fond-de-France in the commune of Haut-Bréda (formerly La-Ferrière).

(S/E) From the car park, follow the marked path above the hotel towards the Refuge des Sept Laux. Follow the yellow markings. Continue until you reach a junction with a farm track.

(1) Cross the footbridge and continue along the marked path. Continue to an intersection at the Rocher des Biassus climbing site.

(2) Take the path that goes straight ahead, then turn right onto theGRP® du Tour du Pays d'Allevard marked in red and yellow. Continue climbing, cross a farm track, then join the crossroads of the twoGRP® trails, the Pays d'Allevard and the 7 Laux.

(3) Stay on the left trail.

(4) Cross the Breda Torrent to reach a jumble of boulders.

(5) Follow the path through a jumble of boulders under which the Bréda torrent flows underground. Then start a series of hairpin bends to come out onto a meadow.

(6) Turn right, continue climbing, and reach the Col de la Vieille, which overlooks the Lac Noir.

(7) Take the path on the left and after a few metres you will reach another intersection.

(8) Take theGRP® on the right towards an EDF building. Reach the building and continue along the path under the Lac Carré dam. At the end of the dam, continue along the lake and you will come to another crossroads.

(9) Turn right.

(11) Cross the dam between Lacs Carré and Cottepens via a boardwalk. Continue to the Refuge des Sept Laux or Jacqueline Mathieu.

(10) Return to the previous crossroads.

(9) Turn right and then immediately left. Follow Lac de la Motte until you reach a shelter.
At the shelter, take the path on the left, continue straight ahead and return to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(8) Turn right and retrace your steps to return to the Col de la Vieille.

(7) Take the path on the left, which is theGRP® shared by the Tour du Pays d'Allevard and the Tour des Lacs des Sept Laux, marked in red and yellow. Begin the descent, passing the Chalet du Gleyzin de la Ferrière. Continue right at the next crossroads to return to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(3) Take the same route back as on the way there, turning left to return to the Fond-de-France car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,093 m - Hikers' car park. Near
  2. 1 : km 0.41 - alt. 1,127 m - Sauge Bridge
  3. 2 : km 0.77 - alt. 1,167 m - Rocher des Biassus Climbing site
  4. 3 : km 2.54 - alt. 1,555 m - Intersection of the GRP
  5. 4 : km 2.95 - alt. 1,583 m - Cross the Bréda (torrent), a tributary of the Isère
  6. 5 : km 3.23 - alt. 1,627 m - Torrent du Bréda
  7. 6 : km 4.59 - alt. 1,973 m - Prairie
  8. 7 : km 5.09 - alt. 2,097 m - Col de la Vieille (2,095 m)
  9. 8 : km 5.26 - alt. 2,116 m - After Lac Noir
  10. 9 : km 5.8 - alt. 2,136 m - After Lac Carré
  11. 10 : km 6.05 - alt. 2,139 m - Sept Laux refuge
  12. 11 : km 6.42 - alt. 2,135 m - Dam between Lac de Cottepens and Lac de la Motte (2,130 m)
  13. S/E : km 12.28 - alt. 1,093 m - Hikers' car park at Fond-de-France

Notes

The altitude of the hike means that snow is sometimes present late in the year, which can make the ascent more difficult.
(7) Col de la Vieille: on the way back, if there is snow, it is preferable to return by the same route as on the way up rather than via the Cul de la Vieille slope: steep, slippery and potentially avalanche-prone sections.
On the Sept Laux plateau, feel free to vary your route between the lakes as you wish.
Please note that the water levels of the various lakes can vary greatly depending on the season, which can be misleading.

Worth a visit

(10) The Refuge des Sept Laux offers overnight accommodation on the plateau. It is advisable to check opening times before setting off on your hike (manned refuge, fee payable).
If it is closed, you can fill your water bottles at the back of the building using a pipe that comes out of it.
The main lakes visible around the refuge are Lac Noir, Lac Carré, Lac de la Motte and Lac Cottepens.

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
sempervivum
sempervivum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The car park at the start of the trail is reserved for locals, but there is a car park 300 metres before that for hikers. Steep climb with black ice (north-facing + sub-zero temperatures + wet path along the Breda torrent) then a nice thick layer of powder snow in early November. Refuge with picnic tables to admire the lake and mountains. Return via the same route, with the circular path passing through avalanche corridors.

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User 4149424

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Yes, the hike is steep, but to be honest it's not that difficult. The finish with the different lakes is simply incredible. I'd definitely recommend this hike!

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Josci
Josci

Hike with a significant elevation gain over a relatively short distance. The weather was beautiful, with a very pleasant route near the lakes and a stop at the Refuge des 7 Laux, where we received a very warm welcome.
The descent was a little difficult in places due to loose scree. The walking poles proved invaluable.

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Jocelyne P.
Jocelyne P.
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A challenging hike, as stated, but well worth the effort. There were other hikers, but not too many. We had a picnic by one of the lakes and enjoyed the magnificent view. I did this hike 20 years ago and found it tough at the time. I can confirm that it is still just as tough...

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Josci
Josci

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike, and a very warm welcome at the Refuge des 7 Laux.
The descent is quite steep over scree, so walking poles are strongly recommended

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lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello rdub
Thank you for your comment.
Annotated description of the car park.

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rdub
rdub
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route, very popular but the Belledonne massif is vast!
The elevation gain is constant (and quite steep), but it is well known that the reward awaits hikers at the summit. We continued along the trail to Lac du Cos (without difficulty, as the trail remains at roughly the same altitude). There was no wildlife to be seen on Sunday, except for a young fawn that was not very shy at the start of the climb.
Please note that you must use the car park reserved for hikers and not the hotel car park...
Thanks to the author.

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RENE69
RENE69

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I confirm that the route is difficult and should be followed in the direction indicated, but the reward is great when you arrive at the 7 Laux refuge.

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TedMARCOZ
TedMARCOZ

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike to the Lacs and Refuge des 7 Laux.
The ascent and descent are very challenging, regardless of the route taken (Chalet de Gleyzin or the other path along the waterfall). However, the reward upon arriving at the 7 Laux refuge after a 3.5-hour walk is well deserved!

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dije38
dije38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice walk and beautiful climbs. I recommend doing it in this direction.

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Deuxpattes
Deuxpattes

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

PLEASE NOTE: The GPS coordinates take us to a car park reserved for residents and a hotel. (There are two signs in this car park, but we didn't see/read them, even though they are clearly visible!!!) The hotel owner came to move us... THE PARKING AREA FOR HIKERS IS MUCH LOWER DOWN, on the left as you go up.

Otherwise, it was a very beautiful route; we didn't find it that "physical" (at least in the sense intended) compared to other hikes with less elevation gain but over a shorter distance....
Thanks for this post!

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stéphanie balthazar
stéphanie balthazar

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We were the only ones there... We had attempted this hike in April, but had to turn back because there was still too much snow and we weren't equipped.

The colours were magnificent, and the climb was challenging, but the views were well worth the effort ;-)

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Supermum
Supermum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I completely agree with the previous comments about the physical demands of the route. But the beauty of the scenery quickly makes you forget your fatigue. In total, this hike took 9 hours, with 3 hours of climbing, 2½ hours of descent, and the rest spent enjoying the area (up to Lake Cos). Thank you for the guide.

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Stéphanie. D
Stéphanie. D

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A challenging and athletic hike, just as described! Magnificent landscapes, varied terrain and sustained elevation gain. We did this hike during a heatwave and drought, so the lakes were quite low. A very good memory and a sporting achievement for me. The description is very accurate and allows you to do a beautiful loop.

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Vagau73
Vagau73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A physically demanding hike, but well worth the effort when you reach the plateau with its extraordinarily large lakes. The colour of the water and the scenery are truly breathtaking! An unmissable hike in the area.

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