Photo : Martial GAILLARD-GRENADIER / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Lac Blanc (Aiguilles Rouges)
Lac Blanc is at 2,352 metres' altitude, in the Aiguilles Rouges massif, near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. It consists of two bodies of water linked by a small stream, for a total area of about two hectares. The upper part often stays frozen until midsummer. The water flows out by a torrent towards the Arve.
The site is in the Aiguilles Rouges national nature reserve. From its shores, the view takes in the Mont Blanc massif, with notably Argentière, Les Grands Montets and the Mer de Glace. Among the neighbouring summits are the Aiguille du Belvédère, the highest point of the massif at 2,965 metres, as well as Lac de la Persévérance and the Chéserys lakes.
Several hiking routes lead there, from La Flégère, Argentière or the Col des Montets. A refuge operates nearby: the first building, built right next to the water, was swept away by an avalanche in 1986, then rebuilt in a safer place. Access depends on snow cover and conditions at the time, so you should ask before you set off.
