Route No. 8: Lac des Hermes loop
Puy-Saint-Vincent
Route No. 8: Lac des Hermes loop
1h30
Duration3733m
Distance1937m
AltitudeQuoting : R2
Level :
Medium
Corresponding snowshoeing ratings :
R2
Recommended for :
- Occasional hikers (1-2 outings per week)
- Active families with sporty children (aged 10 and over)
Medium
Corresponding snowshoeing ratings :
R2
Recommended for :
- Occasional hikers (1-2 outings per week)
- Active families with sporty children (aged 10 and over)
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Description
Click here to consult the ski area conditions.
3.7km loop from the Nordic Chalet - approx. 190m ascent
This itinerary takes you all the way to Lac des Hermes, where the atmosphere is utterly peaceful.
Markings: blue or purple flags and black " piétons/raquettes " signs on a yellow background.
Description:
From the Nordic chalet, take the shared route up to the Prés chairlift, opposite the chalet.
3.7km loop from the Nordic Chalet - approx. 190m ascent
This itinerary takes you all the way to Lac des Hermes, where the atmosphere is utterly peaceful.
Markings: blue or purple flags and black " piétons/raquettes " signs on a yellow background.
Description:
From the Nordic chalet, take the shared route up to the Prés chairlift, opposite the chalet.
- When you reach the Étoile des Neiges high-altitude restaurant, turn left towards Le Lauzet.
- After the cabane du Laus, at the entrance to the plateau, turn right and follow the shared ski touring path up to Lac des Hermes.
- Opposite Lac des Hermes, turn right before the picnic tables and follow the signs to the clearing below.
- Cross the clearing and exit to the east.
- Cross the stream to find the path you took on the way up. Take the same route back down to complete the loop to the Nordic chalet.
- Towns crossed : Puy-Saint-Vincent
Gear
Make sure you have the necessary equipment:
Water and snacks
Warm clothing (avoid jeans)
High boots (hiking, rigid snow boots)
Walking poles
Sun screen
Sunglasses
Hat/cap
Small first-aid kit
Water and snacks
Warm clothing (avoid jeans)
High boots (hiking, rigid snow boots)
Walking poles
Sun screen
Sunglasses
Hat/cap
Small first-aid kit
Recommandations
Prices for activities other than cross-country skiing in the Nordic area are available here and on sale at the lift ticket offices and at the Puy Saint Vincent Nordic Chalet.
A few rules:
→ You use these routes at your own risk. Find out about the weather conditions and avalanche risks published by Météo France. Also, don't hesitate to ask at tourist information offices or the Nordic chalet before you set off.
→ For avalanche-prone trails, we strongly advise you to take your avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe with you.
→ Night-time activities on Nordic areas are prohibited. It must be supervised by a professional and must be authorized by the ski slopes service.
→ Several itineraries are shared with cross-country skiers and ski tourers: give them priority, always walk along the edge of the piste and be vigilant when crossing these shared paths.
→ Many routes cross downhill ski slopes; be vigilant and give skiers the right of way.
→ Don't walk in the cross-country ski tracks, straddle them.
→ Respect the signposting: dangers, prohibitions, trail directions, among other things.
→ Don't overestimate your abilities!
→ Dogs are tolerated, on a leash, off the cross-country ski trails (dogs prohibited on the Lauzet itinerary of the Puy-Saint-Vincent ski area, reserved for approved sled dog teams).
→ Take your garbage with you!
Please note: This information is given for guidance only. It is your responsibility to check the weather forecast before setting off and not to overestimate your possibilities. The Tourist Office and the PNE cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident. In case of doubt, contact professionals: instructors or equipment hire companies.
Emergency contact details: Secours Montagne: 04 92 22 22 22 or 112
A few rules:
→ You use these routes at your own risk. Find out about the weather conditions and avalanche risks published by Météo France. Also, don't hesitate to ask at tourist information offices or the Nordic chalet before you set off.
→ For avalanche-prone trails, we strongly advise you to take your avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe with you.
→ Night-time activities on Nordic areas are prohibited. It must be supervised by a professional and must be authorized by the ski slopes service.
→ Several itineraries are shared with cross-country skiers and ski tourers: give them priority, always walk along the edge of the piste and be vigilant when crossing these shared paths.
→ Many routes cross downhill ski slopes; be vigilant and give skiers the right of way.
→ Don't walk in the cross-country ski tracks, straddle them.
→ Respect the signposting: dangers, prohibitions, trail directions, among other things.
→ Don't overestimate your abilities!
→ Dogs are tolerated, on a leash, off the cross-country ski trails (dogs prohibited on the Lauzet itinerary of the Puy-Saint-Vincent ski area, reserved for approved sled dog teams).
→ Take your garbage with you!
Please note: This information is given for guidance only. It is your responsibility to check the weather forecast before setting off and not to overestimate your possibilities. The Tourist Office and the PNE cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident. In case of doubt, contact professionals: instructors or equipment hire companies.
Emergency contact details: Secours Montagne: 04 92 22 22 22 or 112
4 points of interest
PanoramaTournoux
The Tournoux plateau is a small paradise with its cool meadows, its occasional renovated chalets made from stone and larch wood and its view over the Tête d'Aval, an imposing limestone peak forming part of the Montbrison massif. Whether on a mountain bike, on foot or on cross-country skis in the winter, this spot is always an invitation to stop for a break!
Vernacular heritageLe Laus
A number of old alpine pasture chalets or hamlets, often renovated, are dotted across the Puy-Saint-Vincent resort. These are the Chalets du Laus. Le Laus is a place name designating a lake. In fact, just after the chalets, although not a lake, there is a flat, marshy area which is no doubt a small filled-in lake. So no point in bringing your pedalo!
FaunaThe clouded Apollo
White, almost translucent in places, with just a few black spots, this butterfly is a cousin of the better-known mountain Apollo. It lives in clearings in open woods where the plant on which the female lays her eggs grows, and on which its caterpillars feed: the corydalis. It is a mountain butterfly.- Panorama
Reading the landscape
The Vallouise valley is a tributary valley on the right-hand bank of the Durance. It is made up of three municipalities: Vallouise-Pelvoux, Les Vigneaux and, looking down from the heights, Puy-Saint-Vincent. This 25 km-long valley is dominated by numerous peaks, ranging in altitude from 980 metres, at the confluence of the Durance, to the peak of the Barre des Écrins at 4,102 metres (the highest point in the Les Écrins massif) and covers 18,541 hectares. Lying at the centre of the crystalline massif, the Vallouise valley is the gateway to the Parc National des Écrins and boasts exceptional and varied landscapes and a diverse wealth of fauna and flora.