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In Fontclairant, park at the picnic area. Please note: this hike is not marked as such, nor is it marked in its entirety.
(S/E) Head north-east, crossing the village via Route de Besse. At the fountain-trough, follow Chemin de Charmont to the left. At the next crossroads, look for the red and whiteGR®®4markings and follow them straight ahead (follow these markings until otherwise indicated). At the fork, continue to the right to reach the D213.
(1) Cross (caution, busy road) and continue straight ahead. Ignore all paths on either side.
(2) At the edge of the woods covering solidified lava flow of Cheire d'Aydat, continue straight ahead. The path winds through the forest. After about 1 km, look out for a tree trunk on the left with markings: a green cross and a yellow smiley face with other yellow spray-painted marks.
(3) Leave theGR®® markings temporarily and turn left for a round trip to the Fontaine Gelée, a rocky chaos that is a natural icebox. Follow the yellow markings that mark out a fairly well-defined path on this rather chaotic terrain. Please note that these markings are only visible on the way there. Take note of the route and, on the way back, turn around frequently to check that the yellow markings are still visible.
(3) On your return from Fontaine Gelée, continue along theGR®® on the left. Leave the woods and take a small road. Just before the tarmac, leave theGR®® and turn right onto a path (green cross andGR®® cross). Head south-southeast and, further on (elevation 906), ignore a path on the left.
(4) Ignore a second path on the left and start following the blue markings. Further on, ignore a path on the right, then pay attention to the blue markings, which are few and far between on this poorly marked trail in the woods. At one point in particular, when the trail seems to disappear, climb up to the left to find a path that descends to the shore of Lac de la Cassière (viewpoint).
(5) You will then find a wider path, still marked in blue, and follow it east then south-southeast to reach a road. Leave the blue markings and follow the road to the right (south) to the D90.
(6) First turn right then left to cross the road and take the small road opposite. Immediately afterwards, follow the path on the left which climbs and offers a view of the surrounding puys.
(7) At the T-junction, at the L'Épine signpost, rejoin the red and whiteGR®®30markings and follow them to the right, towards L'Épine Sud (follow theseGR®® markings until otherwise indicated). Shortly afterwards, at the L'Épine signpost (south by deduction), continue to the right towards Rouillat Bas. At the crossroads, turn left and then take the path on the right, clearly marked by the GR®® trail. You will come to a road at an information panel about the evolution of the forest.
(8) Follow the road to the left and ignore a turn-off on the left. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead.
(9) At the Rouillat Bas signpost, continue along the road on the left towards Lac d'Aydat. At the next two intersections, turn right. Along the path, you will come to a fork with a path on the right blocked by a barrier and marked withGR®® and yellow crosses.
(10) Cross the Pont de l'Arche bridge over the Veyre river and continue on theGR®® trail, ignoring the paths that branch off to the right. The trail joins the lake shore.
(11) Continue on theGR®® trail to the right. Further on, ignore a path on the left that is not shown on the map. At marker 680m, continue straight ahead. About 50 metres further on, in a slight bend, you will see a very mossy fountain-trough below the path on the right. You will arrive at the Poudure marker in the hamlet of the same name.
(12) Leave theGR®® and continue straight ahead towards "Autour du lac" (Around the lake). Continue along this road until you reach the junction at the entrance to the village of Aydat. Turn right towards the church, which is well worth a visit. Pass to the right of the church to reach the corner of a sports field.
(13) Walk along the left-hand side for a return trip to the Veyre wetlands on a paved path.
(13) Turn right between the church and the sports field. Take the footbridge over the Veyre and first turn left then right to take a one-way street. At a right-hand bend, go straight up the path to the left of an insect hotel and you will come to a street after a few steps. Follow it to the left to reach a road. Walk a few metres to the right, then take the path that climbs to the right to reach a small road.
(14) Follow this road to the left for about 30 metres, then turn right onto the path.
(15) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead (north-west) to the D5. Follow it to the right for about 50 metres. Then cross the D5 (take care!) and turn left onto the road towards the village of Fontclairant. Follow the grassy slope on the right-hand side of the road to return to the picnic area (S/E).
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