Balcon des Volcans, starting from Aurières

Park at the Place de la Gigeole, situated at the bottom of the village of Aurières, where parking is easy.

(S/E) Walk up Rue des Bergers, which is lined with^a fountain on the right-hand side. Then leave the street, just before it starts to go downhill, by turning left to reach Place Sainte-Anne, where you’ll find the church of the same name, dating from 1840, and an old washhouse.

(1) Continue along the main road via Rue des Fontaines, which runs past the town hall on your right. Take the^first right, Rue des Pradets, which leads down towards Nébouzat. A few hundred metres further on, you’ll reach the junction with Chemin des Vernèdes; turn left onto this straight path to reach a T-junction.

(2) Carry on to the right along the straight track (magnificent view of the Chaîne des Puys). Ignore a track on the right, then one on the left, and take the next track on the right. Cross the village road and carry on along the track opposite.

(3) After a short descent, cross the Ruisseau de La Gigeole and turn left immediately. Carry on, then take the first path on the right. Leave this small valley and reach the plateau, where the Chaîne des Puys comes into view once more.

(4) Keep right at the next two successive junctions. Continue along a straight stretch to reach the junction by the sewage treatment works. Turn left, and at the four-way junction, carry on straight ahead.

(5) At the T-junction, turn right to reach the D561. Then first turn right then left to join a field track. You’ll soon reach the junction where five paths meet.

(6) Turn sharply left down the^first track, then veer right to reach the River Randanne; cross it and head slightly uphill to reach another track.

(7) Follow this track to the right before leaving it 200 metres further on, veering left twice to reach a track junction just before the village of Couhalion.

(8) Take the track to the right for a few metres towards the hamlet of Couhalion, which is visible, then turn left. Continue slightly uphill to reach a four-way crossroads near Suquet Borne; here, enjoy another view of the Chaîne des Puys.

(9) Turn right and continue straight down to reach another crossroads of footpaths.

(10) Turn right and follow the path along the hillside to reach a wider track. Take this to the left and cross the Randanne again. Then head up the Chemin de la Chabannette to the road, arriving in the village of Couhalion at the Place des Entraves.

(11) Head up to the left, then immediately at the Fork in the road, leave the Route du Mont Dore and follow the straight track to the right until you reach a four-way junction.

(12) Turn right and follow the path, ignoring all turn-offs to the right or left, until you reach the D561 road at the Croix Haute junction.

(13) Follow the road to the left for two hundred metres before crossing over to take a path through the trees that descends to the right. Join a new, wider path running alongside the Gorce stream.

(14) Take this path to the right and, keeping to the bank of the stream, continue to the Moulin de Neuville crossroads.

(15) Climb up the winding path to the right, then reach the Chemin des Amoureix junction.

::14: Turn right onto this path; after a circular bend to the left and then to the right, you’ll reach the football pitch – walk alongside it. Cross the road and head downhill opposite. At the Place du Foirail, flanked by the old weighbridge on one side and a fire pump on the other, take the Ruelle de la Bascule.
Then turn right onto Rue Molière. Continue straight on along Rue de la Gigeole until you reach the car park at Place de la Gigeole (S/E).

(9) Detailed view from this point:
If you’re doing this hike in spring, the icing on the cake is the snow still lying on the peaks of the massif.
From left to right, following the horizon towards Sancy (details of the Puy de Dôme side will be provided when you reach (13))
Puy de la Perdrix 1,824 m (Super-Besse cable car) /// Puy Ferrand 1,854 m /// Puy de Cacadogne 1,785 m and Puy des Crebasses 1,762 m (often confused) /// Puy de Sancy 1,885 m /// Roc de Cuzeau 1,737 m /// Puy de l’Angle 1,738 m /// Puy de Barbier 1,702 m and Puy de Monne 1,692 m (the two ‘pyramids’) /// Puy de la Tache 1,639 m (+ Puy Chambon 1,464 m and Puy de la Croix Morand 1,520 m below and in the foreground) /// Puy de Baladou 1,455 m /// Puy de Baudet 1,484 m /// Puy de l’Aiguiller 1,525 m /// Puy de Combe Perret 1,380 m /// Puy de l’Ouir 1,505 m /// Puy Augère 1,242 m (which hides Lake Servière) /// Puy Loup 1,481 m (which overlooks the Lac de Guery plateau) /// Puy de la Garde 1,094 m.

(13) Detail of the view from this point:
From left to right, following the horizon towards the Chaîne des Puys
Puy de Côme 1,253 m (+ Puy de Barme 1,101 m in the foreground) /// Puy Chopine 1,181 m /// Grand Knoll 1,231 m /// Puy de Pourcharet 1,116 m /// Puy de Dôme 1,465 m /// Montagne de Laschamp 1,256 m and Puy Pelat 1,204 m ‘merged’ (+ Puy de Montgy (1,183 m) below in the foreground) /// Puy de Montjuger 1,094 m /// Puy de Mercoeur 1,249 m /// Puy de Lassolas 1,183 m /// Puy de Montchal 1,094 m in the foreground_Puy de la Vache 1,167 m /// Puy de la Toupe 1,074 m /// Puy de Vichatel 1,095 m /// Puy de Charmont 1,137 m (+ Suquet Borne la prairie in the foreground, a hill at the foot of which lies the Maar de la Narse d’Ampoix) /// Puy de Combegrasse 1,121 m /// Puy de la Rodde 1,131 m /// Puy de l’Enfer 1,086 m /// Puy de Monténard 1,173 m.