Hiking itinerary : Lac des Pierres Blanches via l'Esselet

A beautiful hike through our undergrowth of larches, spruces and cembro pines. This hike follows an old canal to a basin, where the forest opens up for a beautiful view of the Peisey Valley, with the Chapelle Notre Dame des Vernettes in the distance. On this hike, you may hear the tinkling of cowbells as you continue towards the Pierres Blanches lake, where you'll enjoy a magnificent view while taking advantage of the picnic tables at the finish.

REMINDER: our dog friends must be kept on a leash in the ski area, especially around Plan Bois and the sled dog outings.

Starting from Les Bauches
1/ Drive to Les Bauches on the road that carries on 6km beyond Les Coches.
2/ At Fontaine Froide (junction) keep following signs to Les Bauches.
3/ Park in the parking area opposite the bridge. From there, walk back along the road and follow a small canal to Esselet pond (P).
4/ Turn left up the path (sign to Esselet) through the forest to a small plateau (P).
5/ Cross the plateau and carry on along the path which comes out onto a forest track (P).
6/ Take it to the left and then after 200 m, take the path off to the right (P). The forest gradually becomes a sort of massive garden filled with spruce, larch and Swiss stone pine trees. The path then comes to a plateau that is almost like a clearing (P).
7/ Turn off to the left, walk right across the plateau (about 350 m)
8/ Climb slightly to the right, coming out in a large meadow (P).
9/ Climb up the grassy slope (stony path) to the small road (P) and then on to the chalet that you will see. Go round to the right of the chalet and you will find the Lac des Pierres Blanches.

P = signpost on the route

You can either follow the same route back down, or take the small asphalt road that leads back down to the car park (1 hour).