Lac de la Muzelle et son refuge

Les Deux Alpes (Venosc)

In the Vénéon valley, at the foot of the Roche de la Muzelle, this glacial lake lies at an altitude of 2,105 metres. It reflects a hanging glacier. The site has been listed since 1941. According to the Écrins national park entry, the neighbouring peat bog is the vestige of a larger lake, left by the retreat of the glaciers; shepherds formerly cut peat there as fuel, which is now forbidden. Before roads, the inhabitants of Venosc passed this way and through the col de la Muzelle to reach the Valbonnais. The valley serves as a summer pasture: since the 1980s, about 1,200 sheep from the Hautes-Alpes have spent the summer there. On 2 July 1875, the mountaineer Coolidge, guided by the Almers, father and son, opened the normal route up the Roche de la Muzelle, and a pastoral hut already sheltered roped parties. The commune built the refuge on the lakeshore in 1967. Wikipedia gives 9 hectares and 18 metres of depth, with the note ‘to be confirmed’. The lake has also become one of the most visited in the massif since the 2020s. No legend was found in the sources consulted.

Getting there: Mountain hike, check the weather. Trail of 11.8 km round trip, 1,261 m of ascent, about 6 h 30, classed as difficult by the park, from L'Alleau (Venosc). Very heavy use in summer since the 2020s (Wikipedia). Coordinates: OpenStreetMap marker ‘Lac de la Muzelle’ (Nominatim), consistent with Wikipedia (44.9506; 6.0975).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound