Loop of Lac Blanc

This small deep blue flower favours the light and nutrient-poor soil. It is therefore most likely to be seen at the bends of the trail...

A high-altitude lake surmounted by a summit. Classic mountain landscape shaped by glaciers. To the right of the photograph is the glacier of Belle Place which left its traces as it descended from the eastern side of the Dent Parrachée. A glacier which has now reduced to a few metres in thickness. The last great ice age of the Würm covered the entire Vanoise and descended from Mont Blanc to Lyons. It is therefore difficult to establish the exact origins of Lac du Lait. But its age is certain: the lake is precisely 12,000 years old, as established by analysing the pollen taken from peat. What we have here is the only real peat bog currently known in the heart of the Vanoise National Park. It draws another part of its originality from its exceptionally high altitude for this type of environment. At more than 2,200 metres, the basin dug out by ice was filled with water after their retreat and a wetland was created. This has now closed imperceptibly, filled with vegetation that eliminates the water. It is, in some way, the last stage of this lake’s evolution, the twilight of its life.

This lake is the seat of a sphagnum bog and shelters some interesting species rarely seen at this altitude of 2,380 m, such as the grass snake or the white-faced darter, a dragonfly that is present only at altitude.

This lake, due to the highly impermeable bedrock, is mainly fed by runoff water. It cascades in to the Doron gorges 400 metres below. As you approach the shore, you may be lucky enough to see a bearded vulture, the largest of the European birds of prey. A couple nest in these gorges, a little further upstream. Get the binoculars out!

The east face of the second summit of Vanoise (3,697 m in altitude) stands before you. It inspires mountaineers every year to climb it to enjoy one of the most stunning views of the Alps. Unfortunately, the ascent has also had its fair share of tragic accidents reminding us that man must remain humble in the face of nature. All paths have their difficulties in climbing, including the route classified as least difficult but it dœs follow a very beautiful, snowy and sometimes airy rocky ridge.

Stretching to the north of the Dent Parrachée are the Vanoise glaciers, formed across 13 km by multiple domes which include Génépy, Arpont, Nants, Chasseforêt and Sonnailles. The crossing of the Vanoise glaciers is renowned for its beauty and the panoramic view it offers! Above 3,000 m, much of the precipitation is in the form of snow. The accumulating snow is packed and transformed from a light layer with a density of less than 100 g per litre, which then turns to a hard compact snow cover that, when it dœsn’t melt in summer, turns into névé which becomes five times denser. If, after years of accumulation, the névé persists, the snow hardens again, pressing out all trapped air to become bright, transparent ice with a density of 900 g per litre.

Need a stop? The Refuge du Lac Blanc welcomes you for a drink and dessert. Try their delicious small dishes or their homemade blueberry pie. If you feel compelled to prolong your mountain break, stay the night and enjoy the great spectacle before falling asleep and wake up to the Parrachée.

These meadows, rich in biodiversity, are essential for breeders, enabling them to provide for their animals during the winter while producing high-quality fodder which directly affects the quality of milk. It is therefore vital to respect them and not deviate from the path especially before mowing around the 1st of August. Wild boar occasionally climb up to this point and damage the meadows by turning them over in search of food. If this is a cost for farmers who have to restore it to its original state, it is also the price they pay for their quality!

This chapel dates back to the 15th century and was renovated in 1987. It is dedicated to Sainte-Marguerite d´Antioche, who protects the hamlet of Chavière and the surrounding alpine pastures. The third century saint freed herself from a dragon, the Demon himself, by piercing it from the inside with the aid of a cross and thus naturally became the holy protector… of pregnant women! She was then invoked when women were giving birth in the alpine pastures.

Ÿou will meet 3 oratories dedicated to Saint-Antoine, a hermit and protector of donkeys and mules. The 1st oratory, dating from 1973, was the year in which the road was created. The second, dating a priori to the Italian occupation, was already known on the Sarde map in 1728, and was rebuilt in 2005. The third oratory is a rock crevice which has not been dated. Sainte-Antoine has some distinctive characteristics, a cow bell and the Tau des Antonins (T-shaped cross).