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In Volvic, park in the Sources de Volvic car park, a relaxation and picnic area, which you can reach by following signs for the Goulet bottling plant.
(S/E) Head towards the ‘cars’ exit from the car park and turn right; you’ll immediately come to a Fork in the road. Take the left-hand path, signposted GR® Red and White and Sentier Dr. Moity. Follow the path, ignoring two tracks on the right. You’ll be walking through the forest covering the Cheire de Bruvaleix, a solidified lava flow from the Puy de la Nugère, within the Cheires and Grottes de Volvic Nature Reserve.
(1) At the crossroads of four paths, continue straight ahead, following the same markings. Ignore two paths on the right in quick succession.
(2) At the junction with another path on the right, signposted “Sur les traces des carriers”, follow this signposting, leaving the GR® and Dr. Moity signposts behind. Follow the main path, ignoring the side tracks on either side. At a fork in the road, follow the signposting by heading uphill to the right. The path takes a wide bend to the left; ignore a track on the right, then becomes a track as it emerges from the woodland.
(3) Ignore a path on the left and continue along the track until you reach a T-junction with another track. Turn left and head towards the junction where a road meets two tracks.
(4) Leave the “Sur les traces des carriers” signposted route, which heads off to the left, and follow the road to the right. Walk through the hamlet of La Coussedière (fountain, picnic table, a few old houses) along the Route de Rochevert.
(5) As you leave the hamlet, let a road branch off to the left and continue straight ahead on a small road. Walk for about 150 m, then take a wide path on the left, marked in yellow. At the next T-junction, turn right. At the crossroads where four paths meet, continue straight ahead following the VTT13 signposting.
(6) At the next T-junction, keep to the right, following the yellow PR® markings. Very soon, turn right onto a narrower path, marked in yellow. Further on, you’ll join a road.
(7) Follow it straight on, enjoying an unobstructed view of the Chaîne des Puys. Take a wide track on the left, marked in yellow. Immediately afterwards, ignore a track on the left which rejoins the GR® markings and carry on straight ahead on the GR® (also marked PR® yellow). From here on, follow the GR® markings until otherwise indicated.
(8) At the junction of three paths, turn right and immediately ignore a path on the left. At the next junction of four paths, carry on straight ahead.
(9) At the T-junction, turn left. At the next Fork in the road, keep right, and at the following Fork in the road, keep left. Ignore the side paths, which are more or less well-maintained.
(10) At the junction, carry on straight ahead. Ignore a path on the right, then one on the left, and look out for the hiking marker marked 640 m. Carry on straight ahead towards Tournoël. Further on, you’ll arrive below Tournoël Castle.
(11) Turn right, cross the car park, note the information sign ‘La foi et la pierre’, walk past the Auberge La Chaumière and continue along the forest track, which further on is lined with beautiful chestnut trees.
(12) At the signpost marked 630 m, carry on straight ahead towards Notre-Dame de la Garde. At the next signpost, shortly afterwards, stay on the path towards Sources de Volvic (the GR® route is incorrectly marked on the IGN map), then, as the path bends to the left, ignore the path leading straight ahead. You’ll reach the statue of Notre-Dame de la Garde, carved from Volvic stone, standing above a wayside shrine. Continue along a path that descends steeply. You’ll come to a road.
(13) Leave the GR® here and follow the road to the right as it climbs. Pass through a nature restoration area and arrive at a junction.
(14) Turn left onto the blocked-off road, then immediately take a right-hand turn at a closed gate to follow the Sentier des Cheires along the Gensat (stream). This path, clearly signposted, forms a circular route to bypass the nature restoration area on the right. You can occasionally leave the main path to look at information boards (mainly aimed at children) about the reserve’s wildlife, and more specifically about the bats that now inhabit the former Volvic stone quarries. You’ll come back onto a road. Follow it to the right to quickly reach the picnic area and car park (S/E).
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