Refuge de la Pra walks

Hiking with lakes and streams in the Belledonne mountains, parking thirty minutes from Grenoble.Important note: please take into account the opinions of hikers on this outing. These opinions can be found at the bottom of the page in the Comments and Discussions section.

This hike takes you to a series of lakes set like precious stones along the path from the Oursière waterfalls to the Col de la Pra, between wave-cut rocks and alpine flora. This route, which is partly off-trail, is particularly treacherous: there is no way to keep to a schedule, as the fascinating landscapes compel you to linger and contemplate. A small part of the route is off-trail but there are no difficulties with orientation.

The legendary summit of Belledonne is easily accessible in summer. The entire route is superb, whether it's the view of Lac du Crozet from Col de la Pra, the Lacs des Doménon or the view from the summit.

This is a very wild hike, half of which takes place in valleys completely off the beaten track, exploring the playground of the chamois, mouflons and ibex that abound in Belledonne. The lakes of Bâton and Bœuf, nestled in the rounded rocks opposite the peaks of Oisans, are the highlights of the hike.

Well known to Grenoble residents, this hike offers superb views of all the surrounding mountains, including Chartreuse, Vercors, Grandes Rousses, Taillefer and Belledonne. As soon as you arrive at the top of the cable car, your gaze is drawn to La Meije, which looks so close.⚠️ This hike can only be done on foot from 30 June to 1 October ⚠️

A spectacular hike to the iconic Croix de Belledonne. As well as the most varied alpine landscapes, the numerous stunning lakes along the route and the wonderful encounters you’ll have along the way, the end of this hike offers a breathtaking view of the Vercors, the Chartreuse and the Écrins. Starting at an altitude of 1,100 m and finishing at 2,926 m. Enjoy!

A challenging day’s hike connecting two iconic mountain huts in the Belledone massif. Chamois, moraines and lakes will punctuate the route.

This magnificent loop trail starts at the Gâte car park and climbs through the woods to the viewpoint of the impressive and beautiful Cascade de l'Oursière waterfall, then follows the Ruisseau du Doménon stream through a welcoming grassy valley, ideal for a short rest before tackling the climb up a scree slope. At the top, you will find the stream again, which flows peacefully through an alpine meadow in a picture-postcard setting. Once you have crossed a valley, you will discover the charming Lac Merlat in a high mountain atmosphere. Take a short detour to the Refuge de la Pra before continuing on to admire the series of superb lakes: Claret, Longet, Bernard and Léama. After crossing a few rocky outcrops, you come to a cute little lake and then the three Robert Lakes at the foot of the Croix de Chamrousse. The descent from the Brèche Robert Nord leads to the Lac des Pourettes in a marshy basin and finally a passage through the forest brings you back to the car park.

This route begins with the classic ascent to the Refuge de la Pra. From the refuge, the route takes you off the beaten track, through magnificent high-mountain scenery. Head towards Lac David via the western slope of the Grande Lauzière, which offers a beautiful view of the Claret, Longet and Bernard lakes. Shortly afterwards, you look out over Lac David. The path crosses a small pass, descends into a small valley, and climbs up a rocky ridge with views of the rugged eastern slope of the Grande Vaudaine. You climb the southern ridge of the Grande Lauzière to its pass, then on to its summit.

A magnificent hike to the Croix de Belledonne, passing the Boulon waterfalls, Lac Blanc, the Grande Pente snowfield, Lac du Grand Doméon, Lac du Petit Doméon and Lac du Crozet. Incredible scenery, with the chance to spot ibex, chamois and marmots. But please be aware: as the route involves crossing two snowfields, the use of crampons is strongly recommended given the steepness of the slopes.

This route begins with the classic ascent to the Refuge de La Pra. From the refuge, the route takes you off the beaten track into a magnificent high-mountain setting. Head towards Lac David via the western slope of the Grande Lauzière, which offers a beautiful view of the Claret, Longet and Bernard lakes. Shortly afterwards, you look out over Lac David. The path crosses a small pass, descends into a small valley and climbs up a rocky ridge with views of the rugged eastern slope of the Grande Vaudaine. You follow the southern ridge of the Grande Lauzière up to its pass. From there, you can see the route leading to the Pic du Grand Doménon.At the summit, there is a superb view of the Alps. The descent to the Col du Bâton follows its northern ridge. Then, via a scree cone, the route joins the Croix de Belledonne path. You walk alongside the Grand and Petit Doménon lakes to reach the Col de La Pra, from where the ascent path leads back to the car park. This route is reserved for mountaineers in good physical condition.