Refuge du Lac Blanc (website in French) is perched at 2 352 m7 717 ft, at the heart of the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, facing Mont Blanc. It is not on the main TMB route but on a variant, and one of the most spectacular on the circuit, and we recommend the detour.
Access
The easiest way is the Flégère cable car from Les Praz de Chamonix, as the refuge advises on its access page (in French): it drops you at 1 850 m6 070 ft and spares you a 2h30 climb. At the top, follow the “Lac Blanc” sign: allow about 1h30 on a winding, rocky path with no particular difficulty, with Mont Blanc, its glaciers and its needles facing you.
Bivouacking
Bivouacking is prohibited, even without a tent, in the Lac Blanc zone.
To sleep in a tent, head down to Lac de Chésery, 20 minutes below: bivouacking is possible there, with mandatory reservation on the Haute-Savoie nature reserves’ bivouac booking site.
Booking
You book online only, and your place is confirmed once you have paid. In 2026 the refuge was open from 5 June to 1 November, with a winter opening as well in March and April.
Services: half-board (dinner, a night in a dormitory and breakfast).
On site: bank cards are not accepted, and there is no winter room.
Contact: +33 7 81 32 36 55 - [email protected]
Refuge Du Lac Blanc (2352m), Chamonix - France
Refuge du Lac Blanc, at 2 352 m7 717 ft above Chamonix, sits at the heart of the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, facing Mont Blanc. On a variant of the Tour du Mont Blanc, it is 1h30 from the Flégère cable car. Booking and payment are online; no bank cards on site. Bivouacking is prohibited at Lac Blanc, possible at Lac de Chésery by reservation.
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