Index to Lac Blanc with Lifts
8
Overall rating
Very Good
Length
6.21km
Elevation + / -
178m / 667m
Trail type
With Lift
When to go
Mid Jun - Mid Sep
Hike duration
2.0 - 3.0 Hours
Altitude Range
1873m / 2407m
Technical level
Easy (2/5)
Natural beauty
Very Nice (4/5)
Run duration
1.0 - 2.0 Hours
Families
7+ Years old
Dogs
No Dogs
Provision Sources
1 Refuge
Contributors:
Lac Blanc is one the most popular destinations near Chamonix and many people visit it for its amazing location and the amazing reflection of the Mont Blanc mountain range in its crystal clear waters. Right on the shores of the lake you will find the Refuge de Lac Blanc which offers both accommodation to guests and snacks and light meals to visitors. The lake sits at 2352 meters of altitude and as such it is not easy to reach from the valley floor. If you want to get there with your family then the easiest way to get there is by taking the Flegere lift at Les Praz and then take the Index chair lift. Doing so will put you at a considerable altitude making the walk to Lac Blanc a traverse as opposed to a steep climb. After visiting the lake you can walk down to Flegere and grab the Flegere Gondola back down to the valley floor.
Photos of this Trail
We have a large library of pictures from in and around the Chamonix Valley. All pictures are categorized and geo location tagged. These are the pictures we have for this trail. Click on any picture to view it's details and location.
Trail Directions & Safety Considerations
Children
7+ Years old
Dogs
Natural Reserve. No dogs allowed.
When to Go
Mid Jun - Mid Sep
Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment
This is a high altitude route reaching the Lac Blanc at 2352 meters. This route assumes you will use the Flegere and Index lifts and these will be open from roughly mid June to mid September. The route and the lake should be snow free and accessible at those dates but you should always check ahead of time. The route itself is rocky but not overly technical. The descent to Flegere is steep at times. Children should not have a problem reaching the lake as long as you supervise them well. The trail is well marked and hard to miss.
Trail Starting Point
We start at the Flegere lift station near Les Praz. There is a large car park at the lift station with more nearby parking available across from the Le Castel hotel and restaurant. There is also a bus stop at the Flegere lift station. If you want to come by train then exit the train at the Les Praz station and then it is a short walk to the Flegere lift station.
Trail Directions
You will start off by taking the Flegere lift near Les Praz. Once you arrive at the mid station turn left and you will find the Index chair lift. Take this lift up to the starting point of the trail towards Lac Blanc. Lac Blanc is well marked and you should have no problem traversing the mountain in a north east direction until you reach Lac Blanc. Once at Lac Blanc you can relax at the Refuge Lac Blanc and explore the lake a bit. There is a trail going around the lake and on the far side you can take a picture with a reflection of the mountains on the Mont Blanc side. Once you are ready to head back simply go back the same way you came up to the Lake. Look for a trail marker that says Flegere. The path down can be steep at times so take care if you have children with you. You will see the Flegere lift station soon enough and navigating towards it will be easy.
Points of Interest for this Trail
We have a large database of all of the points of interests in and around Chamonix. These are the points of interest you will find along this trail:
3D Map & GPS
Trail Route Map & GPS
You can download the GPX file and load this route into your own GPS enabled device or application. If you are on Strava, then you can open this route in Strava and save it to your account.
3D Map of this Trail
FATMAP in an incredible website and mobile application that you can use to view the trail in full 3D, do a fly over of the route and get a detailed vertical profile. You can view the FATMAP of this trail below and use the 'View larger map' link to visit the trail on the FATMAP website.
