Refuge du Lac Blanc - Chamonix

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9th stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc, from the Refuge du Lac Blanc to Chamonix.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour du Mont Blanc

Technical sheet

n°11345
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.77 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 343 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 1,675 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,358 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,026 m
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Photos

Tour of Mont Blanc day 8
Tour of Mont Blanc day 8
Tour of Mont Blanc day 9

Description of the walk

_ Start_: From Chalet du Lac Blanc. Take the GRP® directly to La Flégère (cable car).

(S/E) Pass below the Chalet refuge, the cable car and chair lift stations, and turn right onto the horizontal path known as "le Grand Balcon Sud", leaving the path leading down to Chamonix. Cross a short, equipped chimney, cross a wide combe occupied by scree and reach the forest overlooking the old Charlanon mountain pastures (1812m).

(2) Continue on the GR®/GRP® to Planpraz (chairlift, ski lift).

(E) Follow an overall southerly direction along winding paths off the GR® to reach Chamonix (S/E).

Shuttle bus from Chamonix to Les Houches to return to your car.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 2,358 m - Chalet du Lac Blanc
  2. 1 : km 0.1 - alt. 2,353 m - Lac Blanc
  3. 2 : km 3.11 - alt. 1,859 m - Refuge la Flégère (1807m)
  4. 3 : km 5.64 - alt. 1,849 m - Charlanon forest
  5. 4 : km 7.88 - alt. 2,072 m - Planpraz
  6. E : km 13.77 - alt. 1,026 m - Chamonix

In the nearby area

Admire Mont Blanc on the balcony section of the hike and stroll around Chamonix.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 2 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
tdeleu@aol.com
tdeleu@aol.com

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 14, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We went there and back, which meant longer journey times. The scenery was superb, but we regretted not taking the Flégere cable car. The ascent (2h40) is pointless!

Automatically translated
touboul
touboul

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 13, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike from the Flégère cable car via the south balcony to the Lacs de Chéserys, before reaching the Lac Blanc via the ladders. The ascent to the Lacs de Cheserys, through fields of flowering rhododendrons, is pleasant. The descent from Lac Blanc to the cable car was long because of the large number of hikers on the route that day.

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Other walks in the area

Walking Lac Blanc to Les Houches - Tour Mont Blanc

Association or club
↔18.74 km ↗+885 m ↘-2,118 m ◔7h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Haute-Savoie)
This 11th stage of the Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) is practically all downhill (with obvious exceptions at La Flégère, up to the Col du Brévent and Le Brévent and the Tête de Bellachat). The Refuge Lac Blanc is at 2,352m and the Chalet Les Méandres is at 1,100m. Let's do it! The TMB is a classic long-distance footpath that goes around Mont Blanc, passing from France into Italy and through Switzerland before returning to France.

Walking Tré-le-Champ to Lac Blanc - Tour Mont Blanc

Association or club
↔4.40 km ↗+984 m ↘-19 m ◔4h 05 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Haute-Savoie)
This 10th stage of the Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) normally runs along the high ground above the L'Arve valley to La Flègere but here's the description of the variant to Lac Blanc. A shorter stage but full of excitement and challenges. Let's do it! The TMB is a classic long-distance footpath that goes around Mont Blanc, passing from France into Italy and through Switzerland before returning to France.

Walking Grand Balcon Nord - Montenvers to Plan de l'Aiguille and to Les Houches

Association or club
↔18.49 km ↗+675 m ↘-1,476 m ◔7h 15 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Haute-Savoie)
A high-level and stimulating walk along the Grand Balcon Nord overlooking the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley. The route starts from the Montenvers train station (the Little Red Train) and passes the Refuge du Montenvers (worth an overnight stop). The Grand Balcon Nord terminates at Plan de l'Aiguille but the route drops down to Les Houche on the river L'Arve to reach the Chalet Les Méandres (ex Tupilak).

Walking Le Fer a Cheval

Walker
Le Fer a Cheval
↔12.92 km ↗+378 m ↘-370 m ◔4h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (Haute-Savoie)
A very popular out and back walk into the nature reserve above Sixt Fer A Cheval. Excellent scenery but best enjoyed out of the main summer season when it is very busy.

Walking Trient to Tré-le-Champ - Tour Monte Blanc

Association or club
↔13.75 km ↗+1,146 m ↘-1,034 m ◔7h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Valais
This 9th stage of the Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) offers three options, the North-West one that climbs up almost to the summit of Carraye (t 2,132m) and drops down to Valorcine, the South-West past Col de Balme (at 2,191m) then drops to Le Tour or the middle option that goes over Col de Balme and Aiguilette des Posettes (at 2,210m) to drop down to Tré-le-Champ. Here's the description of the classic middle option. Let's do it! The TMB is a classic long-distance footpath that goes around Mont Blanc, passing from France into Italy and through Switzerland before returning to France.

Walking Tour Mont Blanc in 11 stages

Association or club
↔164.02 km ↗+11,043 m ↘-10,931 m ◔11 days ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Les Houches (Haute-Savoie)
The Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) is a classic long-distance footpath that goes around Mont Blanc, passing from France into Italy and through Switzerland before returning to France. These 11 stages are one way of doing it but you can make your own version of the TMB. The classic route begins and ends in Les Houches and takes an anticlockwise direction around Mont Blanc and the adjacent peaks. There is a total of 164 km (102 miles) walking these 11 routes and a positive height gain of over 10,000m. Certainly a challenging adventure but well worth the effort. Let's do it!

Walking Les Houches to Les Contamines - Tour Mont Blanc

Association or club
↔19.20 km ↗+979 m ↘-813 m ◔8h 15 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Les Houches (Haute-Savoie)
This 1st stage of the Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) is possibly the toughest but the adrenaline is pumping and short-cuts are not on the agenda. Let's do it! The TMB is a classic long-distance footpath that goes around Mont Blanc, passing from France into Italy and through Switzerland before returning to France.

Walking Le Giffre, Gorges des Tines and Sixt Fer a Cheval from Samoens

Walker
Le Giffre, Gorges des Tines and Sixt Fer a Cheval from Samoens
↔15.19 km ↗+451 m ↘-451 m ◔5h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Samoëns (Haute-Savoie)
Apart from the first hill at the start this is a mainly flat and low level walk from Samoens to Sixt Fer a Cheval and back taking in the Gorges des Tines. It is a pleasant walk with a lot to see and do.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.