Hike to Lac Blanc
What a great hike in Chamonix to the Lac Blanc
We took the Flegere cable car up, then the Index chairlift up higher and walked across and a bit up and down to the Lac Blanc, enjoyed a picnic lunch with a VIEW and then hiked down, down, down back to the Flegere cable car back down to Chamonix. The morning was beautiful with clear views but the clouds came in as some of my photos show, however it didn’t detract from the natural beauty of this hike.
Flegere is just 2km passed the town of Chamonix before the golf course with easy parking. The day lift pass for both lifts and the return was €25,50. The walk is about 1h 15 minutes to the Lac Blanc from the Index chairlift and about the same from the Lac back to the Flegere cable car. The walk down is a little challenging and quite rocky, but well worth the effort to see the stunning views over the Mont Blanc panorama and the glaciers of Les Bossons, La Mer du Glace and the Argentiere glacier.
It is also possible to do this hike from the Flegere Cable car up to Lac Blanc which is around 2 hours hike up and 1 hr 15 mins back down as on some days the Index chairlift may not be open. There is a refuge at Lac Blanc which is open throughout July and August and on some days in September. Sadly it wasn’t open when I visited but it looks like a great place for lunch with the most stunning views across to Mont Blanc and over Lac Blanc.
Lac Blanc
The Lac Blanc hike is one of the classic hikes to do when in the Chamonix valley area. It is in the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Réserve at a height of 2352m and gives unique panoramic views of the whole valley and Mont Blanc mountain range and glaciers.
In the summer the lifts are open from early July until mid September 8am – 5pm (check exact times on the Chamonix website)
And from Mid September the lifts are open until early November from 9am – 4.15pm – again check the website link above for exact dates and times.
Check out another great Chamonix hike I’ve done
What a Hike – The Argentiere Glacier
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My daughter and I did Lac Blanc from the top of Index last summer. Definitely the better way to do it – we saw hardly anyone on the walk until the last section where it joined with the path coming up from the top of Flegere. On the way back down to Flegere it was heaving – so glad we only had to do it in one direction.
Thank you! You’re right I think this was the better way to do it too! We didn’t encounter hardly anyone on the hike from Index until the last part too. The way back down to Flegere was busier and would have been a tough uphill hike!
Stunning pictures!
I’m not much of a hiker, but I might just go ahead and do this trek for those gorgeous, picturesque views!
It’s really really worth it! And if you plan to go on a day that the Refuge de Lac Blanc is open you will be rewarded with a fabulous Savoyard lunch!
Those mountains are outstanding! So beautiful. Love your photos.
They really are breathtaking aren’t they!
Those snow capped peaks are so stunning and beautiful – well done for that amazing hike!
The views are absolutely stunning! I’ve only seen the area under a carpet of snow – my mission to myself is to visit in Spring or Summer some time over the next couple of years and enjoy the vistas without the white stuff…
I really love the French Alps in the summer – almost more than the winter!