Servoz to Lac Pormenaz
7
Overall rating
Good
Length
10.52km
Elevation + / -
1081m / 1081m
Trail type
Loop
When to go
Mid May - Mid Oct
Hike duration
4.0 - 6.0 Hours
Altitude Range
972m / 2010m
Technical level
Very Difficult (5/5)
Natural beauty
Very Nice (4/5)
Run duration
2.0 - 3.5 Hours
Families
12+ Years old
Dogs
No Dogs
Provision Sources
1 Refuge with detour
Contributors:
This trail starts at Servoz and takes you up the Montagne de Pormenaz mountain. The first part takes you up mount Pormenaz through nice forest paths. As you reach the top the views will open up and you will pass through nice high mountain pastures and the farm houses at Chalets de Pormenaz. You will then traverse through these pastures until you reach the very nice Lac de Pormenaz. This is a very nice mountain lake. From the lake you will make your way to the Chalets du Souay. This part is pretty steep and has a number of ladders and handrails to assist you in your descend. If you are looking for an easier way down then you can continue north from the lake and take the next trail westward. For the easiest trail you could even consider a visit to the Refuge Moede Anterne and then there is a very easy 4x4 track. The Chalets du Souay is a small hamlet of little farm houses and chalets with a nice backdrop of the Rochers de Fiz. From there its beautiful forest paths back down to Servoz. You could easily do this trail in reverse and the ladders and handrails could be easier to handle on the way up instead of on the way down. There are also many detours and side routes you could combine with this trail including visits to the Refuge Moede Anterne, Lac Vert and/or Plaine Joux.
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
12+ Years old
Dogs
Natural Reserve. No dogs allowed.
When to Go
Mid May - Mid Oct
Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment
This route reaches an altitude of 2010 meters near the Lac de Pormenaz. The route should be snow free from roughly the middle of May to the middle of October. Check this ahead of time. The route should not be attempted with snow cover as the lake could be covered by ice and snow and pose a danger. The section with handrails and ladders should also not be attempted with snow cover. The Refuge Moede Anterne could be a good source of information for local conditions. The trails are well marked and not hard to navigate. It will be hard for you to take a wrong turn. Lac Pormenaz is the major waypoint on the first half of the route. Servoz will be clearly indicated after you reach the Chalets du Souay. The trails themselves are not difficult with the exception of the steep section between Lac Pormenaz and the Chalets du Souay. This section has ladders and handrails and is very steep. If you want to skip this section then you can continue north from the Lac Pormenaz and take the next trail westward towards the Chalets du Souay. The easiest trail is the 4x4 which runs from Refuge Moede Anterne but this adds quite a bit of distance and time to this trail.
Trail Starting Point
The trail as we present it here and our GPX file has the parking des Freines as its starting point. If you don't want to park here then there is alternative parking at Les Moulines d'en Haut to the south of the Parking des Freines. Alternatively you could also start this from Servoz or the larger parking at the Gorges de la Diosaz.
Trail Directions
Your first destination is the Tete de la Fontaine. There is also a buvette along this route called the Chalet Tete de la Fontaine which you can visit as a short detour. From there you will reach a junction with a trail marker which will indicate Pormenaz take this forest trail up. The trail will have a number of switchbacks and is fairly steep. Once you near the top, the forest will give way and you will be given some nice views across the Sallanches Valley and the peaks all around you. You will now traverse the pastures on your way to the Chalets de Pormenaz. There will be a sign explaining that you are entering a mountain pasture and how to handle the sheep dogs and the flocks that you may encounter. Continue your trail north in the direction of Lac de Pormen az. You can take a break at the lake. Its an excellent picnic spot. Once you are ready to move on, you should take the trail on the westside of the lake through the couloir de la Chorde. This is steep section with ladders and handrails. Once you made your way down your next destination will be the Chalets du Souay. Pass by the chalets using the 4x4 trail. Soon after you will see the trail on the left side with trail markers for Servoz. Take this trail until you reach the Parking des Freines
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.
