Circular around Lac de Guery and Banne d'Ordanche starting from Mont-Dore

A lovely circular 20 km loop, mostly in the sun, so it can be done even in winter. Start and finish in the town centre at the Hôtel de Russie.
Note: a 2 km section along the road to Lac de Guery is not very interesting but unavoidable.

Moderator update: 25 June 2024

Details

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Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.60 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 8h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,861 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,867 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,938 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,209 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the church square and town hall.

(S/E) Head towards the town hall, cross Rue Favart and turn diagonally right onto Rue Marie-Thérèse. Immediately take the stairs on the left and, once at the top, first turn right then left to reach Rue des Bains de César.

Turn left, climb the stairs at the end of the street and enter the forest to quickly reach theGR®4Ecrossroads (white and red markings).

(1) Turn left onto thisGR® trail, cross the D996 at the pedestrian crossing and turn right. At the last houses, leave the road and take the path on the left, which leads to the Route des Cascades further on. Follow this street to the right to reach the crossroads at the campsite in the Prends-Toi-Garde neighbourhood.

(2) Continue straight ahead, then turn right at a 90° angle with theGR® at the cemetery. Ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead to reach the Queureuilh waterfall.

(3) Change direction and head north to the left. You will reach the Rossignolet waterfall.

(4) Stay on theGR® until you reach the junction with the D983 road.

(5) Take it on the left and follow it to reach Lac de Guery.

(6) Turn left to walk along the lake and reach the intersection with the GR®30. Continue straight ahead, then further on, leave the GR® and turn left to reach a waterfall on the Ruisseau de Guéry.

(7) Continue through the woods along the left bank of the stream until you reach a fork (100 metres before the edge of the woods).

(8) Turn right, north-east, and join a cross-country track at a junction.

(10) Take it to the left, leave another track on the left and join another one in a curve. Continue along this curve to the left, then due west to reach the Puy May farm.

(10) Keep to the path opposite, which follows the track. Take a wide right-hand circular bend to reach a four-way crossroads at Col Saint-Laurent.

(11) Take the path opposite to reach the summit of Banne d'Ordanche.

(12) Return via the same route to Col Saint-Laurent.

(11) Turn 90° right onto the path to reach the hill called Le Tenon. Continue slightly downhill to the junction with theGR®30.

(13) Take this red and white markedGR® trail on the left and begin a short climb to reach the summit of Puy Gros.

(14) Begin another descent off the GR®. Pick it up again further on and follow it to the right. At the next junction (altitude 1371), leave theGR® on your left and turn right. Stay on the mountain pasture and then enter the forest. Continue along a few tight hairpin bends to find a junction of paths (altitude 1250 m).

(15) Be careful at this point: the trail is not shown on the IGN map but it is clearly marked on the OSM Trails map. *
Take this trail on the left and follow it to reach the hamlet of La Fougère.

(16) Turn left onto Route de la Fougère, then left again at the first street to reach the D 996. Turn right and follow it for a few dozen metres. At the first crossroads, keep left onto Chemin des Noisettes to return to the crossroads before the campsite, which you passed on the way there.

(2) Cross the Queureuilh neighbourhood, turning right. You will rejoin the D 996. To avoid part of the main road and its traffic, turn left onto the parallel path to easily find the car park near the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,392 ft - Hôtel de Russie - Town Hall
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 3,606 ft - GR4E
  3. 2 : mi 1.05 - alt. 3,320 ft - Crossroads before the campsite
  4. 3 : mi 1.77 - alt. 3,527 ft - Queureuilh Waterfall
  5. 4 : mi 2.08 - alt. 3,422 ft - Rossignolet Waterfall
  6. 5 : mi 2.88 - alt. 3,875 ft - D 983 crossroads
  7. 6 : mi 4.33 - alt. 4,094 ft - Lac de Guéry
  8. 7 : mi 4.98 - alt. 4,147 ft - Guéry Stream Waterfall
  9. 8 : mi 5.25 - alt. 4,318 ft - Fork
  10. 9 : mi 5.33 - alt. 4,318 ft - Crossing junction
  11. 10 : mi 6.54 - alt. 4,583 ft - Puy May Farm
  12. 11 : mi 7.3 - alt. 4,751 ft - Col de Saint-Laurent (1450m)
  13. 12 : mi 7.7 - alt. 4,938 ft - La Banne d'Ordanche
  14. 13 : mi 8.79 - alt. 4,409 ft - GR30
  15. 14 : mi 9.65 - alt. 4,865 ft - Puy Gros
  16. 15 : mi 10.52 - alt. 4,104 ft - Trail junction
  17. 16 : mi 11.15 - alt. 3,392 ft - Hamlet of La Fougère
  18. S/E : mi 12.6 - alt. 3,392 ft - Hôtel de Russie - Town Hall

Notes

Water sources are only available at the waterfalls (at the start and then at the lake), but not afterwards.
Be careful in the sun, especially in summer, and remember to use sun cream.

  • Be careful on the way back through the forest, as there are issues with the path shown on maps, even IGN maps, but you'll be fine if you have a good sense of direction and follow the suggested route.

You can also switch to the OSM Trails map here.
If in doubt, continue straight ahead on thePR® and follow the path southwards, join a road and follow it downhill to the D996, then turn left to rejoin the (2).

(15) An alternative route allows you to stay on the main trail: go to Les Peatlands, then Planoles and finally Legal. Then turn left to reach La Fougère (16).

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 22 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 23591481

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 25–26 March 2026, with a bivouac at point 9 (set off a little too late ).
Very true to the description; there was indeed a slight difficulty at point 15, but I followed a straight bearing and found myself back on the right track. Magnificent scenery – I even got to see some snow!
I highly recommend it.

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Jerem75015
Jerem75015

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Started from Chemin de Mont Dore, Chemin de Melchi Rose... then Chemin des Monteyroux. Arrived at the Mont campsite... Chemin des Cascades, Quereuilh and Rossignolet waterfalls... well signposted, stayed on the GR
Cross a road. D996 Route de la Tâche
Arrived at Lac de Guery... a little icy near the lake... Plateau de Guery... Well signposted
Chemin du Pic de Loup... then towards La Banne d'Ordanche... great rock to climb (steps provided) then back towards Le Puy Gros (beautiful cliffs and hang gliding, I think... magnificent view and cliffs. Caution: danger...
Then back to Mont Dore... in the forest, great 👍 blue and yellow path... And descent to the bridge and crossing of the Dordogne... and back to Mont Dore 20km. 20km hike

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User 19834416

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that in the woods on the way up to the lake, the route can sometimes be difficult to follow due to forestry work. On the way back down through the woods, the trail is also difficult to follow as it is poorly maintained.

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PUBOL
PUBOL

Thank you for your interesting clarifications

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Alison54
Alison54

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice, easy hike, with some very beautiful forest sections and magnificent stretches of green dome with 360° views. Marmots, red kites, lots of insects and mountain flowers - there's never a dull moment!
A few unclear spots:
- just before and just after the Queureuilh waterfall (forestry work)
- The same goes for the Rossignol waterfall: the path through the forest is not very clear, and I eventually realised that you have to follow the ropes more or less.
- at 15 don't hesitate to take the alternative route. I took the original route and it's very hard to find, even with a GPS, as there are very few markings when you read the forest. I got lost several times and the end is very tricky, which is a shame at the end of such a beautiful walk.
I didn't come across any patous, but a sign near the Banne d'Ordanche indicates that they may be present.
Thank you for a wonderful hike!

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PUBOL
PUBOL

thank you for your clarification

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Maria Yoga
Maria Yoga
• Edited:

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

An interesting hike. A bit short, but it allows you to climb a little and see some beautiful scenery.
Busy, but like all mountains on fine days.

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levet jb
levet jb

Hello,
Yes, perfect for me with these changes

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PUBOL
PUBOL

thank you for these additional details

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Phil.Frt
Phil.Frt
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A very beautiful hike completed in early February 2024.
two points to review, in my opinion:
- between markers (4) and (5): not particularly interesting and even dangerous because to reach Lac de Guery you have to follow the D983 for quite a distance with cars coming towards you at high speed. Not great!

- Marker (14): the path on the left does exist, but it ends in a tangle of barbed wire... Impossible to continue. Like several other hikers (I've just seen the previous reviews), we had to go down the hillside and follow the compass. A very strenuous descent to reach the GR further down.

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PUBOL
PUBOL

thank you for these interesting details

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Antoine Montjoie
Antoine Montjoie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is indeed a very beautiful hike, but there are two major issues:
1. the route after point 8 for about 400 metres (which is not difficult to follow as long as you follow the instructions carefully) is on private land that is not open to the public. I hope that other hikers don't have the same experience I did with a cattle farmer on his quad bike, who gave me a good telling-off and asked me what I was doing there... Things worked out in the end, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to follow the GR from the lake rather than this alternative route, which is complicated and legally questionable.
2. at the end, when you have to descend via an unmarked path (point 14), be careful! The path disappears completely after a mountain bike jump that passes over barbed wire in the forest, and you will only have your compass to help you reach the hamlet of Les Fougères. I ended up at a ravine that I had to descend backwards, holding onto roots, before finally catching a glimpse of the roof of the first house in the hamlet at the last moment. Do not attempt this section without a compass, a mobile phone with sufficient battery (fortunately, coverage is good) and at least an hour of daylight ahead of you...

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PUBOL
PUBOL

thank you for these interesting details

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Scoubidoubiboy
Scoubidoubiboy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At point 8, it is difficult to follow the route to join the GR because you have to cut across a field at the edge of the woods with no path. At point 14, on the descent to Mont Dore from Puy Gros, I would recommend following the GR towards La Bourboule instead. We found ourselves stuck in the forest at the edge of a ravine in a dead end because the path was not maintained. We managed to find a way out through the ferns, but it was difficult and we almost had to use a machete. Apart from that, it was a very beautiful hike overall. We made a small detour to the Rossignolet waterfall to climb up and see the Saut du Loup waterfall, but this isn't essential. The hike is quite strenuous and deserves to be labelled difficult, but you won't be disappointed. Make sure you take enough water and food with you, as the only place to eat is at Lac de Guery

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PUBOL
PUBOL

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the start isn't very interesting, with a long walk
the encounter with the cattle was interesting
then the scenery is magnificent
and in the sunshine, some magnificent photos were taken
i changed the route by not turning right after Puy Gros,
but going straight on to take the GR 30, which brought me back to Lake Guéry
thus shortening the distance to nearly 13 km

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