Refuge of Lac Blanc

Refuge Lac Blanc was a breath of fresh air after a dreadful night at Refuge du Col de Balme. ||The staff were awesome and the atmosphere was genuinely warm and welcoming. ||Dinner was lentil dahl with either sausages or boiled eggs for vegetarians — hearty and tasty. ||Dorms are large with bunks divided into sections. Bags are left in the winter room downstairs, which is fair for hygiene and noise reduction. It was very warm overnight until someone opened a window, which made it more comfortable. ||Important to note: at booking they take full payment, no refunds, and clearly state there are no showers or drinking water. They’re upfront about this, so no complaints. ||Bottled water is expensive but understandable given supplies arrive by helicopter.||Food 4★ | Beds 3★ | Atmosphere 5★

It’s such a shame to see negative reviews. They are so different from the reality I would have thought these people went to a different place! Overall: a lovely hut with a wonderful cosy atmosphere. Great food, excellent service and comfy beds for a good nights sleep. Breathtaking views at sunrise. Highly recommend a stay here! On our last day of the TMB, we arrived at Lac Blanc from Tré-La-Champ early around 1pm. It was rainy and cold and immediately we were welcomed inside by staff. They asked if we were staying and advised we could check in straight away given the bad weather. They were very friendly and welcoming! After leaving boots and bags downstairs we were able to choose remaining beds in the lovely dorm. It’s set up with multiple areas of two sets of bunk beds and then a horizontal single bed by the window. There are big comfy pillows and warm duvets! Downstairs there are charging facilities for mobile phones. As clearly advertised on the website there are no showers and no drinking water given the location of the hut (an area with no fresh water springs). You can either bring a water filter or buy bottled water. In the main dining room we were able to get lunch with a selection of omelettes, soup, crepes, cheese and much more… The tarte myrtille was delicious!! Obviously it’s a small mountain hut so there is a limit to how many people fit inside. Looking at some of the reviews; If you are not staying overnight clearly do not expect to be able to shelter inside in the event of bad weather. The dinner for people staying was a three course meal: soup and bread followed by sausages, daal and cheese and then a slice of cherry pie. Simple but very tasty just like the other refuges on the tour. Breakfast was bread with jam and butter, orange juice and a choice of hot drink. Throughout all the staff were fantastic; friendly, helpful and happy to chat! The hut has a great atmosphere and a wonderful location. It’s a must to wake up for the view at sunrise!

This was our first night at TMB..I have specifically picked this refuge due to the beautiful setting and scenery. It did not disappoint! Beautiful location. The trail up from Tres Les Champ uses ladders and is a lot of fun. The lakes around the refuge are beautiful, and so are the views of Mont Blanc. Once all day hikers leave, the area is super peaceful and you can see a lot of ibexes running around. The refuge itself is quite rustic, cash only dorm style accommodation. The food was ok, although dinner was quite underwhelming. Snacks included tasty pies, hot dogs and yummy crepes. The room was quite cold at night, but cozy with liner and sleeping bags. The refuge has a strict rule of no trash disposal - pack it in & pack it out only.

Had a great stay at the refuge. Wasn't expecting a lot given the bad reviews, but to my surprise, this was one of the better refugios. Food was great, staff was welcoming, and beds were comfortable. Best views of any TMB refuge. You have to come with the right expectations. There is no free water, so get a water filter bottle, and there is a water source to refill the bottle right outside the refuge. We had a great time and recommend this to everyone once you know what to expect.

When the planets align and you have a lunar eclipse on show the night you stay. Given this place is at 2350m altitude that fact that it has electricity and water is amazing. The staff are super friendly and helpful, the food plentiful and just what you need after a day of walking the TMB. Everything comes and goes via helicopter so it’s a special place to sleep.

I wish I could rate this refuge better, considering it's location, nice rooms and great food (at least for day customers). But the owner is just out for business, demands prices higher than on huts that I have been on, even ones just reachable via glacier routes and is generally rude to guests. Even if you are staying overnight you have to pay to use the toilets before 4pm and are not allowed inside. We also got a route advice from the owner that was completly wrong and put our group to danger. When we mentioned this at the next refuge, they were not surprised and said that this happens at Refuge of Lac Blanc all the time... You should also read the other reviews not letting people inside during hail storms etc. The typical night's rest time at huts was also not respected, although not by guests but by the the owner and staff who decided to get drunk until the early morning and also delayed the breakfast the next morning. The food was also a joke for 85 euros per night, as you just get 2 tablespoons of Dhal without rice and an "assortment of cheese" that consists of exactly one slice of cheese and the breakfast consists of 2 slices of bread. If you ask for more bread you get it, but just the leftover pieces of old bread loaves. The owner in general had an attitude that I never experienced on a mountain hut before and even made jokes about their guests. At least the Nepalese staff and a young French woman were very friendly, but the overall management of this hut is unacceptable and I recommend avoiding this hut at all costs or just take a short break there.

Stayed at this refuge on the last day on the TMB trail. Location was beautiful, great view of the mountains and situated right above the lake. On the downside however, this was the only refuge during our 9 day trip which didn’t provide drinking water to refill bottles, and the refuge was charging €5 a bottle. Swimming was also prohibited in the lake and there was no showers or washing facilities. Many of the toilets had also run out of toilet paper by the evening. There was a “problem with the electricity” which also prevented charging any devices. The vibe in general was of a very commercial operation compared to some of the refuges we stayed at.

Had about 50 nights in different alpine huts - Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, summer and winter. Refuge du Lac Blanc was a surprisingly bad experience. It was the most beautiful view with best weather, but the most guest-unfriendly concept of all mountain huts where i have been. It seems that the management of the hut tries to prevent any slightly unwanted situation with an additional prohibition sign or rule. Probably they had many problems with the expectations of hikers on one side, and the situation of the hut on the other. Examples: - if you come to the hut, every door is marked as „access prohibited - private“. But you must enter to find someone for the checkin - reservation is prepaid, but checkin is just possible between 4 and 6 pm. - everybody has to leave the dining room for the staff to „prepare the dinner“ - just to wipe the tables (suggestion: if no others are allowed inside during the day, you could just write the seating plan earlier) - You get the bill for the drinks right after dinner. For us there was no more chance to order drinks after 8.15pm - toilets: a few unisex cabins, not a single urinal - Breakfast is three small half slices of bread, served as individual portions per group. I don‘t expect cheese or sausage, but I’d need energy for the day. What you should know, and is no big issue for me: - no showers - no free drinking water - just a small kitchen. Expect no big food selection - 10€ for 0.5 liters of beer - backpacks not allowed inside the rooms, storage space is available - night‘s rest at 9pm, but breakfast at 7:30 Definetly will come back for the view, but not for Refuge du Lac Blanc.