Diving "Lac de Tignes" /France - Lake from Luc Bessons "the big blue" film

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Michael Schmidt - 06 Mar 2005 19:11 GMT

Has anyone here dived in the Lac de Tignes (lake Tignes) in the ski
resort Tignes in Savoy (south-east part of France)?
This lake is known from Luc Besson´s famous film "The Big Blue". The
Lac de Tignes there in the film is the "Andes Lake" where the first
under-ice experiments with Jaque Mayol take place.

We have planned to go skiing there and I am considering taking my dive
gear with me for one(more?) dives...
Is there a free access to the lake?
If not, are there access reglementations/fees and who I have to ask
for diving rights?
How deep is the lake and what visibility can be expected?

There is a diving school:
http://tignesplongee.free.fr/presentation.htm
offering some sort of touristy "under-ice events" for nondivers
according to the infos given in the webpage.

Their offers are not that cheap and icediving (also solo conducted as
a cave dive) I am already doing for decades and I do not necessarily
need external dive support.
Are the www.tignesplongee.free.fr people ok and are they offring an
added value also to experienced divers?

MS

Reply to this Message

Mike Ross - 06 Mar 2005 19:56 GMT

>Has anyone here dived in the Lac de Tignes (lake Tignes) in the ski
>resort Tignes in Savoy (south-east part of France)?
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>for diving rights?
>How deep is the lake and what visibility can be expected?

I've never been there, but I do know (since my father was involved in
hydro-electric work) that there is a f.cking great dam holding back
that lake. So there might be restrictions on access due terrorist
concerns etc., you'll have to be bloody careful not to get sucked into
an intake to a hydro-electric tunnel(!), and it will get bloody deep,
bloody fast - I'd guesstimate 200M/600ft, with typical alpine steep
sides.

See this pic of the dam with the water let out:

http://www.ifrance.com/tignes/images/photos-meteo/22-3/lac012.jpg

Mike
--
http://www.corestore.org
'As I walk along these shores
I am the history within'

Reply to this Message

Michael Schmidt - 06 Mar 2005 20:55 GMT

>I've never been there, but I do know (since my father was involved in
>hydro-electric work) that there is a f.cking great dam holding back
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
>http://www.ifrance.com/tignes/images/photos-meteo/22-3/lac012.jpg

Thanks for the infos/picture.
There are TWO lakes near Tignes. The one you mentioned is situated
below Tignes on the street to Val d´Isere and is named "Lac du
Chervril" with the damm (where you gave the picture link) and the
hydro electric installation.
I share your opinion that a dive there might not be such a great idea.
A dive through a hydro-electric tunnel and the turbine prob might be
exiting but usually thats a very bloody "once in a livetime"
experience.

But there is a second small lake in the middle of the town Tignes (at
2000m above the sea level). Here isa link to the Tignes town map, the
lake is in the middle of the town:
http://www.tignes.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=gsj3aacoo2oauebkuusgc08s43&oidit=T001:
391e5213a3f4e1c6cab065ff2e499cea

This is the lake of "the big blue" and the lake I am curious about the
diving situation and regulations.

MS

Reply to this Message

JOF - 06 Mar 2005 21:58 GMT

>Has anyone here dived in the Lac de Tignes (lake Tignes) in the ski
>resort Tignes in Savoy (south-east part of France)?
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>Are the www.tignesplongee.free.fr people ok and are they offring an
>added value also to experienced divers?

Dunno about the dive, but "Big Blue" was a great movie for anyone who
loves to be underwater for longer than 30 seconds at a time.

JF

Reply to this Message

Froggy - 07 Mar 2005 11:13 GMT

You may try fr.rec.plongee.

Cheers,

Froggy

Reply to this Message

Michael Schmidt - 07 Mar 2005 15:33 GMT

>You may try fr.rec.plongee.

Yes, you´re right.
I have posted the request there, too.

But do you know a french Web Forum ect. with a large coverage/many
readers where it makes sense to post a question like that?

MS

Reply to this Message