Le Puy de la Combegrasse and La Narse d'Espinasse

Park in the recently built car park on the edge of the D983, about 1500m south of Randanne.

(S/E) Head towards the information board on Puy de la Combegrasse, then take the path on the right towards the puy, in the direction indicated by a yellow sign. Further on, ignore a path that branches off to the left and backwards, then, just after, you will find yellow directional signs at a picnic area.

(1) Turn left towards Puy de la Combegrasse for a round trip to the top of the puy. When you reach a water reservoir, turn left, following the direction of the wooden sign, then go through a mountain pasture gate. Further up, you will come to a first orientation table with a panoramic view of the Chaîne des Puys. Then follow the direction "panorama Massif du Sancy" to reach a second orientation table.

(2) Then turn back to return to the picnic area. Retrace your steps to the intersection, turn right and begin the descent. Further on, ignore a path on the left that turns sharply, then return to the intersection at the foot of the puy.

(1) Continue left towards "Narse d'Espinasse". At the next crossroads, turn right onto a wide path marked in red and white by the^GR®®4. Continue straight ahead, ignoring all paths to the left and right, until you reach a road.

(3) Walk a few metres to the right to reach the yellow directional signs, then cross the road and continue on the path opposite, marked by the^GR®®, ignoring another path on the right, the Chemin des Morts. About 200 metres further on, ignore a path on the left and then, just after a fork, look for the yellow directional signs marked "les Quairas". Leave the^GR®® and turn onto the path on the right (marked with a few faded yellow lines). About 500m further on, continue along this path, which turns left, ignoring a path on the right that is not marked on the map.

On your right, you will see a beautiful view of the Narse below. It is a small marsh, dotted with clusters of trees, created by lava from the Puy de l'Enfer flowing into a river, the Veyre. This river now originates a few hundred metres south-east of the confluence of two streams, the Labadeau and the Narse. You can see the latter below you, opposite. The path descends to finally reach an intersection with the^GR®®, at the yellow directional signs (Narse d'Espinasse marker).

(4) Turn onto the path furthest to the right to go around the narse. Immediately afterwards, you will pass a green sign indicating a biotope protection site. Continue along this path, between the marsh on your left and the slopes of Puy de l'Enfer on your right. Leave the site at another green sign (biotope protection) and turn right to climb a small hill, near a farm building. You will arrive at a path, the Chemin des Morts (which was used by the inhabitants of the hamlet of Espinasse to bury their dead in the commune of Aydat).

(5) Continue to the left to reach the hamlet of Espinasse.
At the intersection with a road, turn right, leave the fountain on your left, then ignore the street on the left immediately after. Just after, take a small road on the left (no entry sign for 19t), ignore a path on the left immediately after and, shortly after, at a fork, continue to the left. Continue straight ahead until you reach the hamlet of La Martre. The path leads to a small road at the fountain-wash house. Note the slate roofs of some of the old houses.

(6) Turn right, then turn right again at the next intersection. Continue along this wide path, ignoring all the paths on the left and right.

(7) Further on, cross the D983 road and continue along the small road opposite to reach the hamlet of Fontsalive. Continue straight ahead, passing to the right of a cistern, until you reach an intersection at a wooden bus stop on the left.

(8) Turn right, then left at the fork just after, going around a stone house with a slate roof. Shortly after, ignore a street on the left and you will arrive at a crossroads. Turn onto the path on the right and continue, ignoring a path on the right further on, until you arrive in front of a water tank.

(9) Turn right and continue along this path, ignoring a path on the right, until you reach a four-way crossroads.

(10) Turn left and continue straight ahead until you reach the hamlet of Le Couhalion. At the first farm buildings, ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach a crossroads in the centre of the hamlet with a cross and a small wooden shelter, inside which is a large glass niche housing a statue of Mary.

(11) Turn right, ignoring the signs for Aurière and Mont d'Or, then, one after the other, ignore a street on the right and then a street on the left at a fork, as you walk past the fountain on your right. After the street curves slightly to the left, continue straight ahead until you reach a path. Turn right, then shortly afterwards, at a fork, continue to the left and turn left at the next intersection.

(12) At the intersection with another path, turn right. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead, walking alongside a pine forest. After the forest, continue straight ahead to reach a road, the D983. Cross over to find the Puy de la Combegrasse car park just on the other side (S/E).

Moderate difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment

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

The Puy de la Combegrasse is a cinder cone with a crater. In the 1920s, only low vegetation covered it, so the site hosted the first gliding congress. The forest then developed. Following logging, the opening of summer pastures revealed its volcanic forms once again.

The Narse d'Espinasse, together with the Puy de l'Enfer, forms an exceptional volcanic complex. The narse is a peat bog (peat marsh) formed in a maar, a vast volcanic explosion crater. Around 11,000 years ago, this maar was formed when magma encountered the La Veyre river.
This collision caused volcanic explosions that led to the creation of the Puy de l'Enfer. The maar filled with water and formed a lake before becoming a marsh (narse) a few millennia later.
Puy de l'Enfer erupted at the same time as the narse. The southern part of the volcano was swept away by the explosions of the Espinasse maar.
The Espinasse marsh, which formed during the Ice Age, has retained part of its original biotope.
It is home to the largest population of Siberian Ligularia in France. This yellow plant, found in cold areas of the globe, flowers in August. It is now threatened by global warming.
A Prefectural Biotope Protection Order (APPB) has been filed to protect this glacial plant at the local level, and it also benefits from another protection measure at the national level.