Mountain tour to the 3 lakes
It is nice that some mountain lakes are easily accessible for many people, the big disadvantage is that the pressure on such a nature reserve will become too great. Animals are disturbed, plants trample, waste and overfertilization disrupt the biotope. And then, unfortunately, regulations must be put in place to protect such an area.
Bouchouse Valley
This is also the case with the valley of Bouchouse with the 3 lakes in the French Queyras near Col Agnel. Especially Lac Foréant can be reached from Col Agnel via Col Vieux in an hour. We also want to see those lakes sometimes, we drive from Chianale to col Agnel, on the border France Italia 2740 meters high, in principle so easy to walk because we are already at altitude, only there is a lot of snow now at the end of June, beautiful but also difficult, but that's exactly what we want. Just below the col on the French side there is a path that goes towards Pain de Sucre, getting on it is already an undertaking, because barred by a snow wall, but with some snow chopping it can be done. You follow the path that is now regularly covered by snow fields, which you can easily traverse, but you still have to be careful. Slipping can have major consequences. On the right above us, the top of the Pain is the sucre, which we will melt for another day before we climb it.
We turn left towards Col Vieux. In our case, it's even 100 meters down instead of climbing. On the hill is 200 meters below the still partially frozen lake of Foréant in a white snow environment. We can descend in the snow again, and if you do not sink too far it is much easy than descend on the path. Straight on straight and almost resilient, so less stressful for the knees. You get to the lake quickly, but you descend one floor below, 200 meters to the lake of Egorgéou and Baricle. In the last part of the descent some hikers are dropping on a snow field. Turns out that they are Belgians too, they are mostly GR lovers and yes we are also here for a part on a red and white large route path.
Lac Egorgéou and Lac Baricle
We walk from Lac Egorgéou to the higher, hidden lake of Baricle, the place where so many interesting plants grow. We'll have a picnic there before we start the way back. From 2400 meters back to Col Vieux 2800 meters, not insurmountable, should normally be covered at 1 hour. But just as the many snow facilitates the descent, so that the same snow can make the climb difficult. Still, there are no big problems, snow and melting snow, do cause pumping feet in mountain boots, but that keeps the feet cool, if it doesn't take too long. At 5 o'clock we are back at Col Vieux, the sun has disappeared completely behind clouds, which are classic from Italy over the col of France. We now try to get out of the trail at altitude at the Col Agnel. We can't see him, but I do know the direction and the clouds visually hide the col, but their direction does point the way. We arrive, well aimed, just below the col on the paved road, where the car is patiently waiting for us.
