From Pessade to Orcival

Starting from Pessade, the route follows theGR®441andGR®30trails, taking you past Lac de Servière, a volcanic lake, and ending in Orcival with its magnificent Romanesque basilica built between 1146 and 1178.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Boucle au coeur de la Chaîne des Puys

Details

1953115
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.16 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 112 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 410 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,224 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 868 m

Description of the walk

The hike starts either at the Bercail Montagne lodge (S) or at the Parc Pleine Nature de Pessade car park (1), where you can park.

(S) Follow theGR® trails, marked in red and white, to Orcival.

(1) At the Parc Pleine Nature car park, take theGR®441, a wooded path, heading north-north-west.

(2) Cross the Chevalard stream and at the next junction, turn left (south-west).

(3) At the end of the path, you will come to an unpaved road. Stay on theGR® and turn left towards Lac de Servières (west).

(4) At Lac de Servières, turn right (north) onto theGR®30-GR®441towards La Croix/Orcival, then immediately left.

(5) You will come to the D983. Cross it and take the gravel road slightly to the left opposite. Continue straight ahead on the road, which leads to a forest path. Take this path.

(6) At the end of the path, take a stony path, after a right-hand bend, at the next crossroads, turn right onto another path. (North-east)

(7) At the crossroads, take the D74 on the left towards Laschamps (south-west), slightly downhill, then take the next path on the right. (North-west). Once you reach the end of the path, at a place called Les Fontchartoux, continue to the bottom and turn right. (You will pass Puy Raynaud).

(8) At the D27 crossroads, continue straight ahead towards Orcival town centre. To reach the Lodge du Pont, pass the Basilica and the Post Office. The Lodge du Pont is on your right just before the Pont du Sioulot bridge (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 1,174 m - Bercail Montagne Lodge
  2. 1 : km 0.28 - alt. 1,167 m - Parking at Parc Pleine Nature
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 1,107 m - Chevalard Stream
  4. 3 : km 3.23 - alt. 1,179 m - Gravel road
  5. 4 : km 3.95 - alt. 1,210 m - Servières Lake
  6. 5 : km 4.75 - alt. 1,175 m - The D983
  7. 6 : km 5.87 - alt. 1,100 m - Rocky trail
  8. 7 : km 7.16 - alt. 1,037 m - D74
  9. 8 : km 8.82 - alt. 885 m - D27 in Orcival
  10. E : km 9.16 - alt. 868 m - Lodge du Pont

Notes

Accommodation/Catering in Pessade:

Lodge Bercail Montagne
Tel: 04.73.77.87.26 / 06.09.95.27.29 E-mail: alain.pelissier926@orange.fr
The lodge does not serve meals (a kitchen is available)

For dinner or breakfast, in the village of Pessade, there is Le Petit Baladou and Le Parc Pleine Nature ( both require reservations)

Accommodation/Catering in Orcival:

Stopover lodge du Pont
Tel: 06.88.67.80.86 - Email: nicolas.daldin@laposte.net
The lodge does not provide meals (a kitchen is available).

For dinner or breakfast, there are restaurants/hotels in the town of Orcival:
https://fr.tripadvisor.ch/Restaurants-g1, etc.

Difficulty (technical information):

IBP: 34 as a hike (HKG)
Percentage of ascent: 5.74%
Percentage of descent: 7.03%
Results from: ibpindex.com

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
CLA30
CLA30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hike was part of a circular route from ORCIVAL to LASCHAMPS to LA CASSIERE to PESSADE and back to ORCIVAL. The hike is easy, mostly through forest, with a section along Lake Serviere.

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Gaiko
Gaiko

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk

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Pisa
Pisa

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with lovely stretches through the forest. Unfortunately, the view of the volcanic landscape was obscured by very cloudy weather.

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Domi35
Domi35
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This comment does not concern this hike but the one called "Vallée de la Sioule via Polagnat Castle" next door, and I can't delete it...

My apologies!

Superb region!

Kind regards

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froment-e
froment-e

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 30/12/21, without snow, circular route from Orcival to the summit of Puy Évident, which overlooks the lake.
Very pretty views of the Dômes mountain range.
Don't forget to stock up on St Nectaire cheese at the Planchettes farm above Orcival, very close to the route.

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F84606
F84606
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello.
I did part of this hike on snowshoes. I went from Pessade to Lake Servières and back.
The route is very easy to follow as it follows the GR trail. Even with snow on the ground and on the trees, you can still see the GR markings.
This route was 7 km long, which was enough for me. Initially, I wanted to go around Lake Servières as well, but I decided not to, so I couldn't check whether it was easy to do on snowshoes.
I had downloaded the GPX track to my GPS and printed out the route, but as all I had to do was follow the GR markings, I didn't use either of them.
What's more, the low temperatures and the equipment needed in winter make it difficult to use paper or GPS.
Happy hiking, everyone.

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