Lacs des Chéserys from the Col des Montets

From the car park just below the Col des Montets, walk up to the chalet of the Réserve naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges and take the reserve's path west. It climbs steadily in zigzags across the open slope, with the Aiguille Verte and the Argentière glacier across the valley, then traverses south over rock and alpine grass to the Lacs des Chéserys, a string of small lakes under Lac Blanc. Return the same way. This way up avoids the long ladders on the path from Tré-le-Champ by the Tête aux Vents.

It is 8.8 km there and back with 721 m of ascent; allow about 5 hours. The grade is Moderate: a long, steady climb on a well-made mountain path, stony near the lakes.

The town gives the lakes' season as mid-May to the end of October, snow permitting; carry warm clothes, as the slope is open to the weather. Dogs are not allowed in the nature reserve, and swimming in the Chéserys lakes is banned by prefectoral order.

The free car park is on the road between Argentière and Vallorcine; Chamonix buses stop at the Col des Montets.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.