Les Orres: Hike to Lake Ste Marguerite

Les Orres ski resort in the southern French Alps near Embrun comprises in fact three resorts at different elevations. We had planned to make a hike from the highest village Les Orres 1800 to the Ste Marguerite Lake (2227 m). Luckily, we visited the resort and its tourist office the day before because on the day of our hike all the ski runs and hiking trails were closed because of an international junior mountain biking event.

The only trail available for hikers started from the Pra Païsset parking (1650 m). It went past a point called “Sources de Jérusalem”.

This turned out to be a lucky choice. The trail was very beautiful and far from the ski lifts. The first part of the trail was a wide piste and did not feel crowded at all. Higher up, above the tree line, the trail became narrower but you could walk almost anywhere along the alpine meadows.

From a small shop in the resort we bought a baguette, local cheese, ham, and tomatoes. We then drove to the vast parking a bit below the resort. The weather was perfect; warm with blue skies.

We ascended in a magnificent larch forest for about one hour before reaching the alpine meadows. Once above the tree line, the ascent became less steep, and it was a pleasure walking on the soft ground.

We reached the lake about 2 h after start. Climbing a bit above the lake, we found a good spot for picnic.

We returned along the same trail.

Hiking time: 3h 30