Between Limagne and Puys for "Contemplation"

The discovery of Thierry Courtadon's sculpture "Contempler" is the pretext for this hike starting from the Fontaine du Berger. The route, along the edge of the Limagne fault, takes you through varied landscapes, cultivated fields, wetlands, pastures, summer meadows, woods and forests, as well as villages and hamlets still rich in traditional buildings.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.09 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 387 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 380 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,022 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 772 m

Description of the walk

From the D941, in the centre of Fontaine du Berger, follow the D773 towards Ternant for about 500 m and park in the hikers' car park on the right-hand side of the road. Montlachat signpost at the edge of the car park.

Yellow disc signpost

(S/E) Facing the Montlachat marker, turn left towards Durtol station, cross the track leading to the antenna, ignore a path immediately on the left and then, a few metres further on, at the fork in the path, take the left-hand path. You will reach a crossroads with four paths.

Green markings in the opposite direction (not easy to follow, use the description or GPS instead)

(1) Turn left, leaving the yellow markings. Continue along this path, ignoring a path that turns sharply to the right, until you reach a crossroads with a concrete cross.

(2) Turn left and, very quickly, continue along the street, ignoring a path on the left, entering Ternant. At the intersection, turn left onto Rue des Sagnes. Opposite a fountain-wash house, ignore Impasse de la Lassy on the left, then turn left at the intersection shortly after. Follow Rue de la Riveux to the right and you will come to a busier street. Follow it to the left. Notice the fountain and wash house at the side of the street. Turn right onto Rue de l'Église Neuve and you will come to a wider street.

(3) Cross over, note a fountain-wash house on the right, along the wall, and follow Rue du Sous opposite, then immediately take a grassy path that descends to the left. You will arrive on the right-hand side of a house with a beautiful fountain-drinking trough. Continue straight ahead across the grassy picnic area to reach the road (Rue du Sous). Follow it to the left. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on the path, which further on becomes a trail. You will arrive at a crossroads.

Followthe yellow "Les Trois Villages" markings in the opposite direction (not easy to follow, so use the description or GPS instead).

(4) Turn left (following the "les trois villages" signposting for this section only). Follow the path around a left-hand bend, ignoring the trail on the right. The path veers north, crossing a stream. You will rejoin the tarmac road when you reach the hamlet of La Mouteyre.

No signposts

Turn onto the second street on the left, ignore the hairpin bend on the left, then you will see a fountain and a wash house. With your back to it, take the street opposite and continue to a crossroads.

Yellow markings "Les Trois Villages" in the opposite direction

(5) Turn left, passing in front of a bus stop. At the next crossroads, cross the road carefully and continue along the path opposite.

(6) At the intersection of paths, go left and then, at the next intersection, turn right. At the following intersections, continue straight ahead on this path until you reach the outskirts of Chanat-la-Mouteyre, when you will see the large community centre building on the left of the path, set back quite a distance.

Off the marked trail (ignore all the markings that go in all directions in this village)

(7) At the crossroads, go straight ahead and then, at the next crossroads, continue straight ahead on a grassy path. Join a street.

(8) Follow it to the right, cross a larger street and reach the fountain. Go down the steps on the right.

(9) Continue right onto Rue des Vardis. Cross Place de la Fontaine, veering left (fountain-wash house on the right), then at the intersection, follow Rue de l'Église to the right. Ignore Rue du Barthalet on the left.

(10) Shortly afterwards, ignore Rue du Château on your left. At the intersection, keep left to walk alongside the "Mille sources" building (beautiful enamelled lava) and continue to see a superb lime tree on your left, in the courtyard, just before the church.

(11) Turn back to the intersection with Rue du Château.

(10) Go down to the right, continue to the right on Rue Barthalet and, at the next crossroads, go straight ahead. Shortly afterwards, you will see an information board and a small wetland on the right. In front of the "Bienvenue sur la zone humide" (Welcome to the wetland) information board, turn right to go around the wetland, passing through a small young orchard and then over a footbridge. Further down, cross the stream on another footbridge (information panel "A mosaic of environments"), then walk slightly uphill along a grassy path. Turn towards an information panel "A mosaic of landscapes shaped by man" then climb the few steps.

(12) Turn right onto the lawn to reach the sculpture "Contempler" (viewpoint, orientation table), then turn back to return to the top of the steps.

(12) Go straight ahead between the playground and the fire station to reach the road, follow it to the right, then turn left onto Rue de Clermont, and left again at the war memorial. Take the path on the right called (aptly) Rue des Jardins. At the end, turn left, then immediately right and you will come to a wider street. Follow it to the right for a few metres to reach the steps you took on the way there.

(9) Follow the same route as on the way there, go back up to the fountain, cross the road to the left and take the street opposite until you reach a beautiful house with green shutters.

(8) Leave the route you took on the way there and continue to the right. The street continues as a grassy path.

Green signpost "l'Andésite"

At the intersection, continue straight ahead on the stony path, cross a street and continue opposite between the community centre and a sports field, then continue straight ahead until you reach a fork in the road and take the left-hand path. Further on, at the T-junction, turn left.

No markings

(13) About 150 m further on, leave the green markings on the right and continue straight ahead. When the path makes a right-angle turn to the left, continue straight ahead across the fields (the wide passage is well marked), with the Puy de Dôme in your line of sight. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead.

(14) Cross a small road, continue straight ahead and, at the fork just after, keep left.

Yellow disc markings

(15) At the crossroads, take the second path on the left (not the one that goes straight back). At the fork, with the direction "Ternant" indicated to the left, continue straight ahead on a grassy path. Further on, as shown on the map, you can cross the fence of the summer pasture on the right (there is a designated crossing) to gain a little height and enjoy a clearer view of the puys and the plain. But be careful not to disturb the cows if they are there. Continue along the path.

(16) Further on, a detour to the left takes you to the foot of the Croix de Ternant (view of the Limagne and information panel about the cross). Then continue along the path that leads directly back to the hikers' car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 985 m - Hiker car park on the D773
  2. 1 : km 1.03 - alt. 911 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.83 - alt. 902 m - Cross
  4. 3 : km 2.42 - alt. 868 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 3.66 - alt. 787 m - Intersection of paths
  6. 5 : km 4.5 - alt. 802 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 5.35 - alt. 854 m - Intersection of paths
  8. 7 : km 7.23 - alt. 846 m - Intersection of paths
  9. 8 : km 7.39 - alt. 816 m - Common intersection on the way there and back
  10. 9 : km 7.46 - alt. 807 m - Stairs on both the outward and return journeys.
  11. 10 : km 7.72 - alt. 798 m - Round trip from Tilleul
  12. 11 : km 7.85 - alt. 799 m - Linden - Église Saint-Louis (Chanat-la-Mouteyre)
  13. 12 : km 8.47 - alt. 780 m - Return trip to the sculpture
  14. 13 : km 11.19 - alt. 890 m - Intersection of paths
  15. 14 : km 12.17 - alt. 915 m - Path/road intersection
  16. 15 : km 13.09 - alt. 965 m - Crossroads
  17. 16 : km 14.42 - alt. 1,003 m - Round trip - Croix de Ternant (Ternant)
  18. S/E : km 15.09 - alt. 985 m - Hiker car park on the D773

Notes

Moderate difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment
In the direction described, the first part is shaded, the second part is more exposed to the sun.

Worth a visit

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo album here and here

Several viewpoints, especially in the second part of the hike, mainly of the Puy de Dôme and its neighbours, as well as the Limagne and the city of Clermont (for those who are interested).
A variety of landscapes, more focused on crops on the Limagne side, more on livestock farming at higher altitudes.
Traditional houses, some renovated, some not, and fountains, wash houses and other drinking troughs in the villages you pass through.

Thierry Courtadon's website: https://www.ateliercourtadon.com

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
ribax
ribax

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along the Puys...
Option to avoid going into Chanat.

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