Multiple routes lead to Lac Blanc, but the route mapped here from Col des Montets is always accessible, even if the lifts are closed. However, since it starts lower down the mountain, this route constitutes a respectable day of hiking—budget most of your day for this adventure.

From the trailhead, the path is "clearly marked," according to Chamonix.com, and it climbs steeply from the road up into the alpine. Higher up on this route, you will pass five beautiful lakes as you approach Lac Blanc, the main feature.

"After the last lake, the path becomes steeper and there is an equipped section to help you negotiate huge rounded boulders," according to Chamonix.com. "This brings you out into a hollow where you will find the lake and the mountain refuge."

The scenery at Lac Blanc is simply stunning! Since the lake is situated on the opposite side of the valley from the Mont Blanc massif, this hike and the endpoint at the lake actually provide some of the best views of Mont Blanc from anywhere in the Chamonix Valley! In fact, "the calm clear waters create the perfect mirror image of Mont Blanc and the snowy peaks on the opposite side of the valley," writes Chamonet.com.

If you want to spend as much time as possible savoring this idyllic location, stop at the Refuge du Lac Blanc for lunch and a drink. How fantastic is it to finish an arduous hike and get to enjoy a delicious meal that you didn't have to carry up yourself?!

Be sure to save some energy, though, because the descent back down to the highway is long and strenuous.

If the Flegere lift is running, the shortest and most popular round trip hike to Lac Blanc runs from the top of the lift to the lake and back. But if that's not an option, the route mapped here is always available to you.