Walking tour of the Plan d'Aval dam

Discover the flora and fauna of Lac de Plan d'Aval, a popular hiking destination in Savoie's Parc de la Vanoise, across the Alps.The lake is around 900 m long and 250 m wide. The reservoir has a capacity of 3,900,000 m3. It is fed on the one hand by the waters of the Saint-Benoît stream after passing through the Plan d'Amont, and on the other by the 16.8 km-long underground gallery leading from Entre-Deux-Eaux, the waters of the Doron de Termignon and capturing in the process all the torrents of the southern slopes of the Vanoise massif. The Plan d'Aval feeds the Aussois power station, built 900 meters further down the Arc valley near Avrieux. The Plan d'Aval lake (public domain) provides anglers with beautiful "fario" and "rainbow" trout. Swimming prohibited due to strong current variations. Dogs allowed on hikes, with caution around the lake and near the Vanoise National Park.

Built between 1945 and 1956, these two dams are built into the Hydroelectric Complex Haute-Maurienne and participate in particular filling the reservoir of Mont Cenis. They are located near the National Park of the Vanoise.Fed by mountain streams, the Plan d'Amont and Plan d'Aval dams power the valley's power stations. Barrage de Plan d'Amont: this concrete gravity dam, 350 m long, is built in honeycombs and buttresses on the glacial lock that obstructs the valley. It has a reservoir capacity of 8,000,000 m3, twice that of the Plan d'Aval, and collects all the water from the Saint-Benoît, capturing the catchment area bounded by the Rateau d'Aussois, the Col de la Masse, the Pointe de l'Echelle, the Col d'Aussois, the Pointe de Labby and the western foothills of the Dent Parrachée. The water is turbined in a small power station called "Plan d'Aval", hidden at the bottom of the talweg, before being discharged into the Plan d'Aval reservoir. They are also the perfect place for a pleasant stroll or a spot of fishing. Public domain. Dogs are welcome, but part of the hiking trail around the Plan d'Amont is part of the Vanoise National Park, where dogs are not allowed, even on a leash.