Towards the Lignin Lakes

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

the climb on the left-hand path is more gradual, while the one on the right, which passes by the waterfall, is more challenging at the start of the hike, so choose according to your fitness level :-)
To take photos of the lake from different angles during the blue hour in the evening, I passed by the shepherd's hut. I hadn't noticed that there were two border collies, one of which gave a little bark, but showed no aggression.
The day after the bivouac, the shepherd arrived with his entire flock at around 9:30 in the morning, accompanied by three Patou dogs. I remained calm, walking quietly to take photos. When I saw two Patou dogs coming towards me, I crouched down. The third joined us, but there was no problem and they let us stroke them.

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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

Thank you for this great tour!

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Most of the hike takes place in alpine pastures without any need to follow the route exactly, as you are surrounded by mountains and the river in the middle, which gradually deepens as you walk around it in a loop.

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Date of your route : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

To avoid returning by the same path, shortly after setting off we turned left, crossed the Serre bridge, took the PR trail that passes by the Juges hut and continued along the Bressange ravine to the lakes.
We had a picnic not far from the Lignin pastoral hut, where we were joined by a flock of sheep led by a donkey and flanked by a few Anatolian sheepdogs and shepherds.
Our calm demeanour did not provoke any hostile reaction from the dogs, who behaved very well.
We made our way back along the route described in the guidebook.
We were blessed with mild weather and were treated to breathtaking scenery.
Thank you to the author for this beautiful hike.

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Date of your route : Aug 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magical experience!

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Date of your route : Sep 30, 2023
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, with the option of climbing up the right bank of the Lance stream and descending on the left bank, or vice versa. Beautiful waterfalls can be seen by straying slightly from the path. Arrival on a magnificent glacial plateau and discovery of the lake.
You can camp above the shepherd's hut. In the middle of the afternoon, we saw hikers who had come to camp.

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Date of your route : Sep 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

For my second visit, I decided to go there and back via the same route, via the "wall" (scree). The access is steep and uneven.
At the Cabanes de Mouriès, mobile sheep fences prevent the animals from straying onto the mountain pasture. A passage has been created between the fences to allow hikers to continue (small aluminium steps). I didn't dare cross them the first time. You find yourself surrounded by miniature ponies and donkeys, which are not shy but keep their distance. Pass them before rejoining the trail. Dogs may come to sniff you, but if you ignore them, they will go away on their own.
I'm delighted to have done this hike

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike with varied landscapes. Very beautiful waterfall that is a must-see. The access road is passable by non-sporty cars without any problems if you drive carefully
There are lots of marmots around the lake and in the mountain pastures. We chose to do a loop, climbing to the right and descending to the left. No problems with navigation. We have a GPS
Thank you for this route. It's a very beautiful place

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had to give up on going to the lakes. My hike ended at the Mouries hut. I couldn't find the forest trail from the Serre bridge, so I climbed up from Colmars.
Avoid using Maps to find the trail. Instead, enter "camping du beau joly" (no advertising, just a place name).
I'll come back and do the hike from the Pont de la Serre, as indicated.

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Date of your route : Jul 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent scenery and very varied hiking.

Rivers, waterfalls, splendid larch forests, and desert plains without a single tree, marmots, rams, flocks of sheep, simply amazing.

Starting from the car park, we opted for the most difficult climb to visit the magnificent waterfall after the Serre bridge. We were able to take a break at the foot of the waterfall and admire its beauty.

The rest of the hike is tough if you decide, like us, to take your camping gear with you. It's better to turn left at the bridge, as the climb is gentler (but it's still steep ^^)

The hike was very easy, well marked (yellow signs) and we reached Lac de Lignin where we spent the night. I spontaneously went to see the shepherd, accompanied by my dog, and we had a great time in his company, admiring the work of his sheepdog guiding the flock.

Many hikers, with or without dogs, have no idea how to behave when they come across herds with guard dogs. As I was with my dog, who was off the leash and without a collar, I never had any problems or attacks. You just need to know how to behave. Let the dog get used to the other dogs. Generally, everything goes very well if your dog has learned the canine codes. If he doesn't know the codes and is off the leash, he's taking a big risk. Even on a leash, your dog may be attacked, and so may you, because you will appear aggressive by shouting and making big gestures at the guard dog to make it go away. BIG MISTAKE

Let them approach you. They are coming to see if you pose a threat or not. They are on their home turf and doing their job as protectors. Sit down, let them sniff you without showing any signs of aggression, and they will leave. If your dog does not know the rules, I do not recommend this hike.

During this hike, we met a shepherd and his very friendly partner, who offered us hospitality in their little shepherd's hut. But when you're taken by surprise and six dogs appear out of nowhere, it's impressive. My dog reacted perfectly and made friends with them. But if your dog doesn't know how to behave, it will literally be eaten, so avoid this hike if your dog is not stable, well-balanced and well-trained.

When I see comments saying that guard dogs are aggressive, I think you'd be better off staying at home in your comfort zone instead of venturing into places like this where there are lots of shepherds and therefore lots of dogs.

So we spent two nights in this magnificent setting, the first night at Lake Lignin, which was cool and damp if you sleep near the lake. The ground is damp, so keep a safe distance of a few metres between you and the lake. The nights are very cool even at this time of year, 25°C during the day and 5°C in the early morning. So make sure you wrap up warm if you're staying overnight. We spent the second night in a cabin available to walkers for shelter from bad weather. There is a source of drinking water from the mountains, next to a small wooden bridge. Follow the river on the left as you go uphill. There is a small waterfall and some beautiful pools, and the source is just beyond that.

I will post photos later.

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Access to the car park can be confusing if you rely on Google Maps: you actually need to take the small road at this point 44.17622838000333, 6.617880366889817 (towards La Buissière). A very beautiful hike, easily done in a day even if there are some steep climbs along the way. On the way there, I chose to take the route to the right (i.e. in the opposite direction to the map) of the wooden bridge to avoid the crowds, which worked very well, both on the way there and on the way back.

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Date of your route : Sep 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a great hike. We came across a herd guarded by a very friendly sheepdog. In the evening, part of the herd left the mountain pasture, so we were able to watch them descend as we were staying at the ONF refuge near the Serre bridge.
The plateau (at the top) where we admired the lake had a Mongolian feel to it. The descent, along the torrent and the beautiful pools, was very pleasant. It's a shame there wasn't a little more water... Very good memories, I'll do this hike again...

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

It's very beautiful... but you risk being attacked by aggressive patou dogs (four of them) just after the starting point of the Serre bridge: confirmed again this August! Watch out for children! Otherwise, do as the rather unwelcoming sign suggests: go hiking elsewhere: some municipalities guarantee "dog-free" routes (the beautiful Robert lakes in Chamrousse, for example)
https://www.partageonslamontagne.fr/mise...

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Date of your route : Jul 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike.
Long in distance, but not very technical and with little elevation gain, which has its advantages.

There are so many great spots to camp that you won't know where to start.

Be careful with your GPS to reach the Pont de la Serre, it doesn't take the right track: take the bridge at Bois Joli then take the track south (Taradel, until the hairpin bend at the Barre de Chabrières ravine)

It's best to do the hike as a loop: climb up via the Cabane de Mouriès and descend via the Bressenge ravine. Great!

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

loop hike (descending via the Bressange valley).
Very beautiful landscapes.

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