Sentier de Salanfe

The Lac de Salanfe is a high-altitude reservoir (1,909 m) with a dramatic setting and a fascinating history.

The hike begins at the end of the public road in the idyllic Vallon de Van, and starts with a steep climb through the upper reaches of the valley to the Salanfe dam. The reservoir beyond occupies the floor of a vast glacial bowl, framed by the serrated pinnacles of the Dents du Midi and the dramatic Tour Sallière.

As it leads around the lake, the trail offers a thrilling experience of a high-altitude landscape, with a wealth of alpine flora and fauna. Highlights include surreal rock formations and a magnificent natural delta at the far end of the lake dominated by the hanging glacier of the Glacier Noir, high up on the Tour Sallière. 

The landscape is blissfully peaceful now, but in the early 20th century the southern slopes of the bowl were a hive of activity, thanks to underground deposits of arsenic rich in gold. Between 1904 and 1907, miners extracted 23.8 tons of gold here – plus another 30-odd tons during the 1920s. 

The trail completes its loop of the lake before redescending the Vallon de Van to the start of the walk.

Highlights

Start at the Van d’en Haut campsite (“Camping de Van d’en Haut” – 1,393 m), and follow the path up the valley. Walkers who suffer from vertigo can avoid the steep flights of steps by switching instead to the former road used for construction of the dam. At the summit, set off around the reservoir anti-clockwise – with the option of stopping at the friendly Auberge de la Salanfe, just above the dam, for refreshments. 

At the far end of the lake, cross the wide delta about mid-way between the shore and the glacial moraine to best negotiate the various branches of the river. The trail then gently climbs the slopes south of the lake, before going back to the dam. Beyond, drop back down into the Vallon de Van to return to the campsite.