Elevation Profile
311–1108 m
At a Glance
- Duration
- 7.5hrs
- Distance
- 113.7km
- Elevation +
- +1912 m
- Elevation -
- -1913 m
At a Glance
Live Weather
Departure / Arrival · Centre nature les 4 Vents
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Field notes and images
Captured by Centre les 4 Vents
Explore Nearby
By the stream
Departure: From the church square in Aix-la-Fayette, go down the main street (D58), then, around the bend, follow the small road on the right (direction La Bessière). 250 m further, take the first grassy path on the right. Continue straight ahead, ignoring two paths on the left. 1. At the hamlet of La Fayolle, turn left and walk alongside the house (directional post) to access the “Aulnaie de la Fayolle” desk. Retrace your steps, then turn left on the road to cross the hamlet. At the last house, go up the road on the right which quickly becomes an ascending path through meadows. At the crossroads, continue straight. 2. Cross the D58 and continue to climb opposite (viewpoint over the town of Aix-la-Fayette). At the crossroads, continue to go straight on. In Limoges, follow the D58b on the left for 10 m, then turn onto the small road on the right to cross the hamlet. Join the D58b again and follow it to the right for 80 m. 3. At the last house, go left on the small road which quickly becomes a path. Always keep the main path until you reach a fork. Then turn right. 250 m further, turn right onto a small path in the woods. Go 500 m and turn left (directional post); turn immediately right and follow the track. Pass over the footbridge, in front of the “Tourbière de Sagnerade” desk and continue on the small path until you reach a more marked path. Then follow it to the left until you reach the road. 4. Turn left on the D58b and go 300 m. Then turn right and immediately take the first path, always on the right. At the crossroads of several paths, turn left. At the crow's feet, just after the stream, turn right. 350 m further, leave the main path to turn right. At the exit of the woods, continue opposite to Martinanches. Cross the hamlet. 5. Follow the D58b on the left for 250 m, then turn onto the first road on the left. Cross Les Fougères by road then continue on the path. At the bottom of the descent, at the level of the stream, turn right onto the grassy path (viewpoint over the Chaîne des Puys). Always keep this path until you reach a small road. Cross it and continue opposite. 6. Follow the D58 on the right for 15 m; go down the small road on the left, then turn immediately right. Follow the main street to reach the starting point.
Around the Couzon valley (circuit n°8)
Very nice, varied marked circuit, which alternates descents and climbs on paths presenting several technical passages (deep ruts, slopes, small screes). In particular, you should be particularly vigilant during the first descent between Ollières and the Mégain bridge, especially if you have not had the opportunity to warm up a little beforehand. The circuit then runs along the western part of Lake Aubusson before passing near the Notre-Dame d'Espinasse chapel built just above a miraculous spring from which water springs which can treat and cure certain skin diseases such as eczema...
Around the towers and castles
Departure: Take the alley to the left of the town hall which runs alongside the village hall. 20 m further, at the fork, take the path on the left between the stone houses. Cross the D 303, and take the road opposite. In the village of Audigier, turn right to pass between the houses. At the fork, at the exit of the hamlet, continue right on the path. At the Sardiats stream, continue on the same path (view of the Château de Mauzun on the left). 1. At the D 20, take it on the right for 400 m; then at the next crossroads, turn right towards Puy Gentil. At the hamlet, go up left to the D 152. Take it on the right to enter Neuville (view on the left of Clermont-Fd, the Chaîne des Puys and the Château de Ravel). In Neuville, opposite the church, turn left then immediately right after the fountain (direction Les Peux); then 10 m further, turn left (view on the left of the ruined Neuville tower). 2. At the next crossroads, turn right. Cross the village of Peux (view of the Mauzun castle slightly on the left, the Puys chain and the Sancy massif, Billom, Clermont-Fd). In the hamlet of Pireyre, at the crossroads, turn left. At the last houses, leave the road and take the path which goes up to the left (view of the Mauzun castle, Bongheat in the foreground and the Sancy massif in the background on the right, Château des Salles, Billom, Clermont-Ferrand, the Limagne plain and the Puys chain completely on the right). At the crossroads of 5 paths, take the opposite direction and pass next to the Château du Cheix. 3. At the D 303, take it on the right. 200 m further, turn left to enter the village of Herment. At the exit, continue to the right on the road which becomes a grassy path (view of the Mauzun castle on the left) then follow the D 303 on the left. At the level of the lake, take the sunken path which rises to the left and continue on this same path to Bel Air (100 m after Bel Air: view of the Mauzun castle opposite, the Sancy massif and the Puys chain slightly to the right). 4. At the crossroads, at the road (view of Thiers on the left, the Forez mountains opposite, the Mauzun castle, Sancy massif and Puys chain on the right) turn right. At the D 7, follow it for 50 m and turn immediately right. Cross the hamlet of La Montagne. 5. At the entrance to Mauzun, turn right, and, at the wrought iron cross, immediately go up to the left to pass between the houses then turn right to join the D 20. Take it on the right, skirt the chapel then the covered market. At the next crossroads, turn right onto the D 20 (direction Bongheat). At the Place des Grolles, (possibility of going up to the Château de Mauzun) take the path between two houses at the back of the square. At the crossroads (nice view), go down opposite and continue on this same path. 6. At the fork, continue to descend to the left (ignore the stony path). Walk along the cemetery, and at the road, turn left to enter Bongheat.