Lac de Salanfe, reservoir
Lac de Salanfe is a reservoir in the Valais Alps at about 2000 meters elevation, surrounded by steep rocky peaks. The water is clear and calm, and the setting is defined by dramatic summits including Dents-du-Midi and the peaks of Tour Salière and Luisin.
The reservoir was completed in the early 1950s and supplies water to nearby communities. The dam is a simple structure that blends into the rocky landscape and reflects local efforts to manage water resources in the region.
The lake takes its name from the surrounding landscape and is tied to traditional alpine ways of living. For centuries, herders used the meadows around it for summer grazing, and this heritage still shapes how locals relate to the place today.
The area is reachable on foot from Van in about an hour and a half. The trails are well-traveled and pass through forests and meadows with views of the surrounding mountains.
Water flows from here through the narrow Dailley Gorges and plunges over the dramatic Pissevache waterfall, whose name means milk of the cow in the local dialect. This striking waterfall marks the border into the Valais canton and is a remarkable feature of the water system in this region.
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