One of the most famous hikes in the Alps, the hike lived up to the hype with probably the most beautiful panoramas of the Mont Blanc massif and the glaciers of Chamonix I have seen. Although we’re almost at the end of June, the high alpine Lac Blanc was surrounded my snow and its glassy, mirror-like surface created a second world of the nearby peaks.
We took the following route: walk to the village of Les Praz from Chamonix’s centre (just under 3k), take the gondola to the Frégere station (16.50 euros per person both ways), hike from there to Lac Blanc (2h45m, according to the signs), have lunch at the lake’s chalet, explore Lac Blanc (30m), hike over to the Lacs des Chéserys (20m from Lac Blank according to the signs), from Lacs des Chéserys hike back to the Frégere station (about 2h), take the gondola down les Praz, and walk back to our place in Chamonix. According to my brother’s iPhone, we covered just over 20k over the day.
The hike from the Frégere station is marked as “easy” on the Chamonix’s official trail map: there is an elevation gain of about 500m from the station to Lac Blanc with lots of switchbacks that take you uphill on a rocky path. Although still a challenging climb, the trail is not technical: there was no snow on the path and this is considered to be the easiest way of getting to the lake. The same grade of trail continues to Lacs des Chéserys: you will encounter built-in steps and even some iron ladders on the way. From Lacs des Chéserys back to the Frégere station is an easy panoramic trail through alpine meadows.
Keep in mind that the last gondola leaves just after 4 pm (check for the exact time at the bottom station before you go up), so it is best to get back to the Frégere station by 4 pm as there will be a line of people trying to take the last gondola down. Expect to be slow on the trail as the altitude gain is quite significant and you will get out of breath much quicker than you normally do. There is also no cover for the entire hike, so be prepared to be exposed to the elements for its entirety.
This was probably one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You will get to see many of the peaks from the Mont Blanc Massif as well as a number of Chamonix’s glaciers: we had a great view of Les Bossons, Mer de Glace, and the d’Argentiére glaciers. The views of the valley were breathtaking as well. We also got to see some wildlife: we shared the trail with a number of Alpine Ibexes.
Below are some photos from the hike. Here are the views of the Fregére station at the bottom as well as the panorama you get from it at the top. As you can see, there are a number of ski lifts at the top, most of which were not running in the summer. There were places to get food at the top of the station:
Below are some shots of what the trail looks like from the station to Lac Blanc:
The path you see below is the trail we took back from Lacs des Chéserys to the gondola station:
The trail is clearly marked with time estimates and amenities indicated on the markers:
We encountered more snow around the trail as we got closer to Lac Blanc:
The views are truly breathtaking on this hike:
Signs around Lac Blanc:
Can you spot three female mountain goats in this shot?:
On your walk from Lac Blanc to Lacs des Chéserys you will encounter more Alpine lakes:
This is what the trail from Lacs des Chéserys back to the station looks like for most of the hike. We also encountered more wildlife here:
