A glacial basin, a wall of peaks

Lac de Salanfe sits at the head of the Vallon de Van, a hanging valley that climbs steeply from around 1,395 m to the reservoir below the Dents du Midi massif. From the water's edge the amphitheatre of summits opens in every direction, the saw-tooth ridge of the Dents du Midi crowning one side and the imposing Tour Sallière holding the other. The contrast between the calm, milky-green surface of the lake and the raw rock and snow above it is what makes the place so photogenic and so memorable.↗↗

What you are looking at is a working hydroelectric reservoir, not a wild tarn. The Salanfe dam is a gravity structure 52 m high and an astonishing 40 m thick at its base, with a crest 608 m long and a capacity of 40 million cubic metres of water; it went into service in 1950 to tame the glacier melt spilling from these peaks. Walking along the top, with the deep basin on one side and the open sky over the Chablais on the other, gives the excursion its sense of scale.↗

Walking the loop around the water

The classic outing is the Sentier de Salanfe, a marked loop of about 12.7 km that takes roughly four hours and a net climb of around 695 m, graded as an intermediate day hike. It begins at the end of the public road at Camping Van d'en Haut and rises through wild, alpine terrain to the dam; hikers who would rather avoid the exposed, dizzying steps can follow the old construction road instead. Once at the water, the recommendation is to circle the reservoir counter-clockwise to keep the best views in front of you.↗

The lap is as much about small wonders as the big ones. Surreal rock formations and a rich patchwork of alpine flora and fauna line the trail, while at the river delta near the dam's foot you can watch the glacier water pouring into the basin. The standout sight is the Glacier Noir, or "Black Glacier," which perches dramatically above the path and is one of the most photographed features of the whole route. On the old dam road in the upper valley, look for the "Moses Well," a natural spring locals point out to passers-by.↗

Gold miners and the hydroelectric age

Long before it was a postcard, this basin had a rougher reputation. In the early twentieth century the region drew fortune-seekers: between 1904 and 1907 some 23.8 tonnes of gold were extracted here, with another 30 tonnes or so recovered during the 1920s. That mining past, layered under the later triumph of the 1950 dam, gives the lake a quietly fascinating story to walk with, and it explains why the high valley was carved with roads and workings well before tourism arrived.↗↗

Beyond the lake: passes, peaks and the Dents du Midi Tour

For longer legs, the lake is a natural base for high passes and summits. The easier Col du Jorat rewards you with a sweeping panorama across the Salanfe circus, the Chablais and even the distant curve of Lake Geneva; the Golettaz (2,466 m), Emaney (2,462 m) and Susanfe (2,494 m) passes each trade effort for wide views of the basin, the Trient valley and the Mont Blanc massif. Ambitious mountaineers can climb onto the southern slopes of the Dents du Midi and, with proper footing, up to the Haute Cime at 3,257 m for a 360° sweep of the Swiss and French Alps.↗↗

Salanfe also sits on the long-running Dents-du-Midi Tour, a 47 km circuit—among the oldest established walking tours in Valais and a variation on the great GR5—best attempted over two to four days in good fitness, with seven mountain cabins along the way and a season running from June to October. Descending the Jorat pass on that route, the lake and the Tour Sallière rise into view in one of the trek's signature moments.↗↗

Lunch on a terrace over the water

No visit to Salanfe is complete without the Auberge de Salanfe, the friendly mountain lodge perched above the reservoir at about 1,950 m. Its terrace, looking straight out over the lake and the peaks, is the natural reward at the end of the climb, and the inn is also the place to pick up a brochure detailing the network of day hikes that radiate from the basin. A coffee and a plate of local fare up here, with the Dents du Midi lit by afternoon light, is a fitting close to the walk.↗↗

Getting there and when to go

By car, take motorway A9, exit 21 (Martigny–Fully), then signposts toward Martigny, Vernayaz, Salvan, Les Granges and the Vallon de Van, driving to the end of the valley where parking is available at the campsite. Without a car, travel by rail to Martigny, change to the Mont-Blanc Express to Les Marécottes, and continue by shuttle bus to Camping Van d'en Haut, where the footpath begins its roughly hour-and-a-half climb to the dam.↗↗

Plan the outing for the snow-free months, June to October, when the high trails are clear and the passes are open. The basin is exposed and the weather can turn quickly without warning, so start early, carry a waterproof layer, sun protection for the high-altitude UV, enough water and food, and good boots for the rocky steps. The marked Sentier de Salanfe is route no. 211 on SchweizMobil, and the SwissTopo sheets 1304 Val-d'Illiez and 1324 Barberine cover the ground for anyone wanting to explore beyond the lake.↗↗