La Virée des Rocs (Full Circuit)

Start: From the esplanade below Viscomtat, follow the D42 to the left. At the junction, continue opposite towards Grimond. Pass the fire station and cemetery. At the fork, remain on the road to the right. The road becomes a track. At the crossroads of 4 tracks, continue along the track opposite. 10 m before the paved road, turn onto the track on the right.

1. Continue along the track to Les Lignières Vieilles. Pass to the right of a building and take the first track on the right. 10 m farther on, at the fork, take the track on the left. Remain on this main track to the D42. Cross it and follow it to the left for 150 m before taking a small path descending to the right. At the end of the path, turn onto the track on the left and climb the steps onto the bridge.

2. Turn right onto the D322 and cross the village of Cornillon. 50 m after the last house, take the track climbing left to the paved road. Follow the road opposite for 50 m, then turn onto the track climbing to the left. At the crossroads of 4 tracks, continue along the track opposite to the village of Boulay.

3. Beside the first houses, take the track on the left and remain on the main track to the paved road (view of the Bois Noirs and the village of Celles-sur-Durolle). Follow it to the right for 50 m, then turn onto the track on the left. Continue along the forest track to a parking area at a crossroads of 4 tracks.

4. Take the track on the right and, 50 m farther on, climb the first track on the right. Follow the main track to the crossroads of 4 tracks. Continue opposite to Roc du Guet (view of the Bois Noirs and the Chaîne des Puys). Continue along the main track as it descends. At the T-junction, continue descending on the track to the right until you reach the paved road. Follow it left to Col des Sagnes. At the col, cross the D86 and continue along the climbing track opposite.

5. At the fork, descend the track on the left and remain on the main track to the Maison du Trésor junction. Then take the 2nd track climbing on the right. At the crossroads of 4 tracks, continue climbing opposite to the cross marking an aircraft crash. Continue along the track opposite to another crossroads of 4 tracks. At the junction, begin the descent by continuing straight ahead and remain on the main track to the Croix du Gât junction.

6. Then take the track branching right to the paved road in the village of Vachon. Take the track on the right to reach the D101.

7. Follow it straight ahead to cross the bridge. Then follow the first paved road climbing left to the village of La Forêt. On leaving the village, take the track on the left, then after a few metres turn onto the path climbing right through the woods. Remain on the main path until you reach a forest track.

8. Follow it left for 20 m and, at the junction, take the track on the left leading to the fine little village of Seychal. Cross the village, keeping to the track on the right (warning: close the gates securely). Continue along this track until you reach a forest track. Cross it and take the path climbing opposite, which emerges again on the forest track.

9. Follow it to the right for 15 m, then turn onto the path on the left through the plantation. Remain on this path to Cheix Blanc (a short out-and-back to the left leads to the scree for a view of the Bois Noirs, the Chaîne des Puys and Mont Blanc). Continue along the main path as it descends through a plantation to the second rocky outcrop, Cheix Petit (an out-and-back to the right leads to the scree with a cross and a view of the Bois Noirs and Noirétable). The path continues descending to the left until it reaches a track.

10. Follow this track to the left for 20 m to the fork. Continue straight ahead to the forest track. Follow it to the right and remain on the main track to the Pierre Pamole car park. Then turn onto the track on the right climbing to the summit of Pierre Pamole (viewpoint indicators with views of Pierre-sur-Haute, the Sancy massif, the Chaîne des Puys, the Bois Noirs, the Monts du Livradois, Lac d’Aubusson and Mont Blanc).

11. At the summit, take the path descending after the second interpretation panel, which meets a track lower down. Take the track on the right and remain on the main track until you reach Col du Pertuis.

12. Cross the D42 and take the paved road opposite. At the fork, take the road on the left and cross the village of Les Raillères. On leaving the village, take the path climbing to the right. At the crossroads of 4 tracks, continue opposite to reach the forest track.

13. Follow it to the left. At the first junction, turn right. At the next fork, remain on the tracks to the right to climb to Roc Blanc. Continue along the main track (an out-and-back to a viewpoint on the right offers views of the Chaîne des Puys, the Sancy massif, the Bois Noirs and Mont Blanc), then turn onto a path descending left along the edge of the Ayguebonne state forest. Cross the end of a track and continue descending opposite along a path until you meet a bend in the forest track.

14. On the bend, take the track branching right (view of the Chaîne des Puys and the Sancy massif). At the T-junction, take the track on the left to the forest track and follow it to the right. Then climb the first track on the right. Continue straight ahead along the main path (view of the Chaîne des Puys, the Sancy massif and the Bois Noirs) to a fork. Take the path branching left into the beech forest and remain on this main path until you reach the paved road.

15. Follow the forest track opposite for 1.5 km. At the junction of 3 tracks, leave the track on the left and take the driveable track opposite. At a right-hand bend, take the track straight ahead. At the next junction, continue straight ahead, passing to the right of the drinking-water reservoir, and remain on the main track to the D102, which you follow to the left.

16. On the road bend, turn onto a track descending right between fields. At the D321, take the paved road to the right towards Rambaud. Beside the house, the road becomes a track and descends until it meets the D321 again. Cross it and continue along the main track to the Glay football ground. Pass alongside the pitch and take the track between the houses of Glay. Continue along this track to the village of Le Cheix, which you cross uphill on the paved road.

17. On leaving the village of Le Cheix, take the track on the left. Remain on it to the road and follow the road to the right. At the junction of several roads, head left towards the village of Grimond. Then turn onto the first road on the right. At the next junction, keep right to pass the Viscomtat fire station. At the junction in the village centre, take the D42 opposite to return to the car park below.