On foot · Abondance valley · August 2026
Lac des Plagnes, in sandals
A small infidelity to our usual mountains, over in Abondance. With one detail: Emmanuelle had forgotten her hiking boots.
- Date
- August 2026
- Distance
- 13.9 km
- Elevation gain
- 766 m
- Walking time
- 3 h 52 min
The route · indicative
The route
The GR5 with bare feet
After rushing a cat back home (it had jumped onto the car roof) and leaving the boots in the cupboard, the loop is done in sandals. Verdict: rather pleasant, with surprising grip, despite the stones and the vipers met on the trail.
A pretty climb from the lake, views of peaks we usually see from the ski slopes, a big pasture up to the Col de Bassachaux and a stretch of the GR5. The long gravel track back is frankly tedious. The storm and hail waited for the drive home.
The way home
Under the hail
Once again we followed the forecast to the letter: storm, torrential rain and hailstones arrived on the drive back. The roads turned white in minutes; luckily we have the right vehicle.
At home the garden had suffered: shredded flowers, hailstones the size of marbles. And the certainty that there probably won't be a second time for this particular hike.
