Lac du Retour

A stunning high-altitude lake, near the Pointe des Couloureuses. Like many high-altitude lakes, the Lac du Retour was formed in a basin hollowed out by the glaciers.
Perched high in a glacial cirque at an altitude of 2,400m, the lake covers an area of around 2 hectares. The lake is almost 10m deep and sits on the rocky edge of this glacial amphitheatre. It is frozen for about 8 months of the year, and the ice only melts around the beginning of July. The harsh climate at such a high altitude makes it hard for living things to survive. The aquatic creatures that live in the lake only enjoy the sunshine for a very short period, and the frogs that live here take two years to reach adulthood. Brown trout and minnow can also be found in the lake: they are introduced every year by the local fishing society, but only the minnow manage to breed. Around the lake are wetlands, and if you look closely you can see some rare alpine vegetation. One of the most striking plants found here is cottongrass, or Eriophorum, whose flowers look like balls of cotton wool. This type of high-altitude habitat is very fragile – take care not to damage any of the area’s wild plants or flowers and, as always, show respect for nature.