The Labadeau Valley

In Pessade, park in the large car park to the north of the village. Yellow signs indicate the two directions of^{the GR®®4}, which passes through the car park.

Follow the^GR®®4to (4) then from (9) to (S/E).

(S/E) Head south. Follow the D789 road towards the village, ignoring a wide path on the right.

at the crossroads just after (direction signs), turn left towards "la Tombe" and the stopover lodge. At the next intersection, continue to the right. At the intersection at the edge of the village, follow the road to the left. Shortly afterwards, the road turns left and heads north-east. At a crossroads marked with a cross, turn right.

(2) Shortly afterwards, take the path on your left. Continue straight ahead on this path, ignoring a path that branches off to the left.

(3) At a beautiful carved cross on the right-hand side of the path (signposted "la Croix Grande"), turn right onto the path which, after about 200 metres, turns left. Continue straight ahead, passing the farm buildings and a cross, until you reach a small road.

(4) Leave the village of Saulzet-le-Froid on your left and leave the^GR®® and the yellow markings to turn onto the path on the right. Immediately afterwards, ignore a path on the left and continue downhill. Cross the Labadeau river via the bridge, ignore the path on the right and go up on the left. At the junction with a small grassy path, continue straight ahead.

(5) At the crossroads, turn right (signposted for Nordic walking). Continue along this path, keeping straight ahead, ignoring two paths on the left (leaving the Nordic walking signs behind), for about 2 km.

(6) Enter the undergrowth. Ignore the path on the right and then, further on, two other paths on the right. Further on, cross a small stream, then another, the Ruisseau de la Védrine. You will arrive at a stone building, the Buron du Creux.

(7) Ignore the path on the left and continue straight ahead. Further on, cross several small streams and note another buron, higher up on your right.

(8) Shortly afterwards, ignore a path on the left (small yellow signs) and continue straight ahead. The path continues to climb, still in the undergrowth, making a few bends on the southern slope of Puy de Baladou. Finally, leave the forest and ignore a grassy path that descends to the left. Immediately afterwards, you will come to a wide path where you will find directional signs and rejoin the^GR®®4.

(9) Follow the^GR®® to the right, towards Pessade, and go around Puy de Baladou on the left.

(10) Further on, you will see a ruined buron (shepherd's hut) on the northern slope of Baladou. Shortly afterwards, go through a gate to enter the summer pastures where cows graze from May to June.

(11) Further on, the path makes a hairpin bend to the left and descends.

(12) Just after a hairpin bend to the right, take the path on the left and return to reach a tiny stream, the Labadeau, at its source. Back on the marked path, continue to the left (following the small yellow sign). Shortly afterwards, go through another gate. Notice the very young Labadeau stream on your right and a marshy area.

(13) Go through one last gate to leave the summer pasture area. Shortly afterwards, you will come to some houses as you enter the village of Pessade. Pass in front of some drinking troughs and arrive at

(1). Turn left and follow the road to return to the car park (S/E)

Moderate difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment required.

The Labadeau stream rises at the foot of Puy de la Védrine, near (12). Its confluence with the Narse, east of Saulzet-le-Froid, gives rise to the Veyre river.

Between (1) and (4), there are lovely views of the Labadeau valley.

Between (9) and (12), beautiful views of the Pessade plateau, the Sancy Massif and the Chaîne des Puys.

Between (10) and (12). From this valley head, at the northern end of the Massif du Sancy, discover a spruce plantation to the north, the Pessade spruce forest. These trees were planted in the 19th century as part of a reforestation programme to remedy excessive deforestation. Since the Middle Ages, the conquest of new grazing areas for livestock had led to the almost complete deforestation of these mountains. This was so severe that there was a shortage of fuel and the steepest slopes were rapidly eroding. Between 1843 and 1894, 13,000 hectares were reforested throughout the Puy de Dôme.

The burons (stone huts) that you will discover on this route are less beautiful than some of those in the Cantal, but they bear witness to a tradition of livestock farming and cheese making (in this case Saint-Nectaire) in the summer pastures.