L’Auvergne volcanique (Femmes d’Aujourd’hui)

When you tell you the volcano, do you have this image of the black cone, fire ignites? This was also my case until I discovered Auvergne and its famous Puys chain: the alignment of 80 volcanoes, 45 km long and 5 km wide.

On GR441, this outstanding location is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It will take at least 3 days to discover that nature is the queen’s area, but to see everything, please wait. Solin, our reporter will take you, and she promises you that you will not be disappointed!

Day 1: Ascension and Night in the Middle of Nature

The GR441 extends 114 kilometers and bypasses between Auvergne volcanoes and will travel within 5 to 6 days. I found a good overview: within 3 days there is about 60 km between Wolvich and Lepuy de Vichatar. David announced, “This is indeed the funniest and most beautiful part of GR441”. With the handbag in hand and stick we went to this extraordinary landscape.

As soon as we entered the woods, David explained to us that not all volcanoes are the same. There are two main types: explosives, which undergo very violent eruptions and expected burning clouds and thrilling explosions, whose lava flows calmly, forming a crater at the top. “Auvergne has mainly interested volcanoes. It is relatively young: the first volcanoes appeared about 100,000 years ago, while the most recent volcanoes were only 10,000 years ago.”

The first summit

We crossed the tray, raspberries, mulberry and blueberries to enjoy the joy of hikers in the season. Then there is the first rise: Puy dela Nugère. At the top, the landscape has not been revealed: we are at an altitude of 960 meters and surrounded by beech forests. It’s time to have a picnic to get back on strength and then climb again.

We continued the 600m climb to Puy de Jume Summit and then Puy de la Coquille. The ground has changed: at our feet, the earth gives way to red ash, almost giving us the impression of changing the planet. Then the first panorama appeared. The show is great and it’s just started. We continued to Belvedere in Puy des Gouttes, from which there was absolutely great place: in the distance we could see many volcanoes, including Puy de Dôme, and even the Vulcania amusement park.

Night under the stars

We descended on Puy de Gouttes and found a place to build a tent: tonight, it was Bivouac. “We can do bivouac under certain conditions: never on a volcano, nor in pasture areas, invisible, settled in the twilight, leave in the early morning without leaving any traces”, designated David. “Also be careful not to sleep under the tree: you think it avoids rain, but the branches may fall overnight.” With these rules in mind, there is an ideal location. After installing the tent, place it for dinner: Aligot Puree freeze-dried. Surprisingly good! Then, quickly in bed: tomorrow, a new day of adventure is waiting for us.

Day 2: Amazing panoramic views

After the rain shakes a good night, Awakening is gentle hot tea and a storage for camp. Today, we are waiting for one of the most anticipated phases of accommodation: the rise of Puy de Dôme. However, you have to browse a few kilometers in the forest by bypassing the puys de Côme, Cliersou and Grand Suchet.

Le Puy de Dôme

Suddenly, it is at a distance: the highest peak of the chain, and finally climaxes at an altitude of 1464 meters. To achieve our goal, we took the Chemindes Chèvres, a steep path with wooden stairs to protect the sides of the volcano from erosion and passage. We started climbing and took the time to return to enjoy the landscape: the views from Little Puy de Dôme, Pariou and his neighbors were already outstanding.

The road then joins a bitumen section, which meets the panoramic view of the dome, and the train climbs to the top. We arrived at its station, perched at 1415 meters, and then continued to move forward, passing the remains of the Temple of Mercury, witnessing the existence of Rome at these heights. There, the wind blew, but the panoramic view was grand. David describes what we see on the horizon: Puy de Sandux of Su Island, Sassie Masif, and even further away from the Limagni Plain.

Arrive at Laschamps

After enjoying a 360° panorama across the top of the hill, we were moving down the Muletiers Chemin on the south slope. The shoelaces provide perspective at each turn. About 400 meters below, the slope gradually softened: we arrived at a fake plate that took us to Laschamps, the first village since Volvic left.

This is one of the huge advantages of GR that I didn’t expect: we traveled through forests, pastures and volcanoes almost continuously. There are no villages, few roads: you really feel like you are developing away from any area where human activities are. Rare luxury, extremely rejuvenating.

There are no tents tonight, but there are comfortable beds in the hotel restaurant Volcantes, which offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. On a plate, based on potatoes, garlic and typical small muffins, paired with a local specialty with green salad and cold meat. A real mountain meal!

Day 3: The Last Meteorite Crater

This is already our last day through the volcano. We took over GR441 and then explored 2 particularly impressive Gemini volcanoes: Puys de Lassolas and La Vache, known for their debris.

We sank from the trees, part of our heads on the ground. “There have been violent thunderstorms recently, and the monoculture makes forests vulnerable: here, Douglas is most important in nature that is very sensitive to school attacks. The result: When the wind blows, they break like a match,” explains. We are glad we are not around when the blow comes…

In the heart of the twin volcano

After passing through the wood a few kilometers, we reached the foot of the side of Puy de Lassolasse. We rush to climb, instead of effortlessly: it’s very steep. Here we are on Mars: at our feet, the ash and slag are gorgeous red. On the top, bombs (dry lava) embellish the decoration. Before going straight to Puy de la Vache, we lowered some collars. There is no doubt that the panoramic view is one of the most beautiful in the entire PUY chain.

The drop is softer and facilitated by installing a stable path and avoiding falling stairs due to rolling gravel. Below we discover an ancient career where huge red and black volcanic bombs break the landscape.

Last stop: Crater

Before we reach our final destination, our routes were all the way through the woods to Ribbe Haute Cave: Le Puy de Vichatel. What is its specialness? One of the deepest craters in the chain (about 86 meters, behind Puy de Pariou). This road allows you to walk around…but also walk across the core of the volcano! A little-known, almost secret place, perfect for ending this three-day hike in the center of unique landscapes.

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