The Puy des Goules and the Puy Pariou in the snow

For hikers who are not used to walking on snow: see "practical information". The D941 is generally well cleared during snowy periods. This is not necessarily the case for the Goules car park. If you do not have snow tyres, you can park at the side of the driveways, but be careful not to block the access points.

(S/E) Head to the eastern end of the car park to find the yellow sign for "Parking des Goules". Take the path towards Puy des Goules. You will soon come to a wider path. Turn left, following the direction indicated by the wooden sign for "Puy des Goules" (blue marker) in front of you. Walk past a forestry company and you will come to a crossroads at the yellow marker for "Chemin des Carrières".

(1) Turn left towards Puy des Goules. Head north-west, then north, until you reach a wooden signpost marked "Grotte du Sarcoui, Puy des Goules" with blue markings.

(2) Continue to the left, in the direction indicated by the sign. You will come to an intersection with yellow directional signs. Continue to the right, towards Puy des Goules (1.3 km).

(3) Shortly afterwards, you will pass a sign about the path development programme and a sign prohibiting groups and mountain bikes, and enter the private estate of Montgoulède. Continue straight ahead on this path, heading north-west and following the fairly discreet blue markings. Continue until you reach the yellow directional signs indicating the Grotte du Sarcoui on the right and the Puy des Goules on the left.

(4) Turn right for a round trip to the cave entrance. This is an ancient Merovingian quarry, which is not very deep. Trachytic lava blocks were extracted here for the construction of sarcophagi from the 6th to the 8th centuries.

(4) On your return from the cave, continue right towards Puy des Goules. A little over 100 metres further on, follow the yellow sign on the left indicating Puy des Goules 0.3 km away. Shortly afterwards, the path becomes lined with small fences and a few steps. You will arrive near the top of the hill, where you will see yellow directional signs.

(5) Turn left and walk around the crater, first on a wide path offering magnificent views as you continue the climb, then, on the south side, on a narrower path that enters the undergrowth before ending opposite the signs for "Tour du Cratère" to the right and "Parking des Goules" to the left.

(5) Return to Parking des Goules via the same route you took on the way there.

(S/E) Look for a large sign in the car park marked "L'agglomération en balades" (Walks in the urban area). Head towards this sign and continue to the road. Cross carefully and you will find the start of a path on the other side. Turn right and follow the direction indicated by the wooden sign for "Puy du Pariou" (yellow markings).

(6) Shortly afterwards, you will see the yellow signpost "Chemin du Pariou" and turn right towards Puy de Pariou (2.5km). Turn right onto the access road to the shooting range, then immediately take the path on the left, at the yellow sign indicating the direction of Puy de Pariou. Continue along this path, heading generally west, for a little over 700 metres.

(7) Shortly after passing under a high-voltage power line, at the yellow signpost, follow the direction it indicates to the left towards Puy de Pariou (1.6 km). Immediately afterwards, you will see a sign prohibiting groups and mountain bikes. Continue along this path, which climbs southwards, then east-southeast. Head south again as the path passes a fallen tree that has been sawn up to clear the way. Shortly afterwards, the path runs alongside a wooden fence on the right-hand side, then turns right.

(8) Immediately afterwards, a wooden sign and yellow markings indicate "Pariou Nord" to the right. Continue in this direction, continuing to climb. You will reach the crater at the yellow "Puy de Pariou" marker.

(9) Continue climbing to the left to reach the highest point of the crater rim, and stop at the top of the steps that descend on the south and east slopes. Magnificent views of the Chaîne des Puys, the Massif du Sancy and the Livradois.

(10) Return to the Goules car park (S/E) via the same route you took on the way up.

A moderately difficult hike with relatively little snow, the climb to Puy des Goules is quite steep.

This hike is described for snowy conditions. In the absence of snow, there may be several trails on the ground that are not mentioned in the description.

However, these paths are popular with local walkers: they are well trodden and therefore relatively easy to follow. However, be careful, especially in the undergrowth, not to lose your way: bring at least a compass, and a GPS is recommended (the Visorando app is perfect for this). Depending on snow conditions, this route can be done in simple hiking boots or snowshoes.
Also, make sure that there is no risk of further snowfall during the hike if you are not used to finding your way without a well-marked trail. In any case, it would be a real shame to do this route without good visibility.

Access to the peaks of the puys is prohibited for groups, to prevent erosion of the paths, which are unstable as they are made of young volcanic soil.

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

Some photos here

You will notice beautiful beech trees in the forests that cover the slopes of these two puys.

The summits of these two puys offer beautiful views of Clermont-Ferrand and the Limagne, the Chaine des Puys, and in particular the Puy de Dôme, the Livradois-Forez mountains and the Massif du Sancy.