The Rocher du Salut from Beaumont

At weekends, you can park in the "la Châtaigneraie" clinic car park in Beaumont, on the north entrance side, near the ophthalmology centre. During the week, see "Practical info". You will follow different markings at intervals, sometimes in the same colour. Follow the description carefully.

(S/E) Yellow disc signposting. At the western end of the ophthalmology centre, take the path that enters the chestnut grove, to the right of a sign prohibiting motor vehicles, marked by a wooden marker post. Ignore the path that descends to the left just after and continue straight ahead along the edge of the chestnut grove on your left.

(1) This leads to a wide track with an old pozzolana quarry on the left and a ruined house opposite. Continue straight ahead, passing to the right of this ruin. Continue along the track.

Further on, leave the Yellow Disc markings and continue straight ahead until you reach the buildings, then straight ahead again until you reach the D941c roundabout. Cross the roundabout to follow Rue de la Pommeraie, which climbs uphill, passing to the right of the crèche.

(2) At the intersection with the first road on the right, Allée Léonard de Vinci, do not take this road but the cemented footpath. Pass under the power line and, at the fork in the path, ignore the path on the right. Continue straight ahead at the next junction and end up on Avenue du Chorigier, at a stone cross on the left.

Find the Yellow Disc markings and follow them to the right. At the fork in the road, turn right into the cul-de-sac. At the end of the street, continue straight ahead on the footpath that leads downhill, then take the stairs that go up on the left and continue on the footpath (not shown on the IGN map). You will come to an area of rubble near a road.

(3) Follow the path to the right. Shortly afterwards, ignore a path, also signposted Yellow Disc, which goes off to the right into a meadow and continue along the path following, at this point, a Bear signpost in addition to the Yellow signpost. At a T-junction, go right and reach the edge of a road at the Yellow signs.

(4) Follow the signs for Royat by crossing the road(with care), then following it to the left. Keep to the left of the guardrail at the crossroads, then turn right onto the path. Shortly afterwards, find the "Gravenoire" marker.

(5) Abandon the Yellow Disc markings and follow the directions given in this description, which are indicated by wooden signs at certain crossroads. Continue straight ahead on the path towards Royat via Cornebœuf. Ignore a path on the right and continue towards "Puy de Gravenoire, Royat par Cornebœuf, ...".

The path runs alongside a small black earthfall, then crosses a small stream (sometimes dry) at a right-hand bend. Shortly afterwards, ignore another path on the right and continue towards "Puy de Gravenoire, Charade". Ignore a more or less clear path on the right that descends, marked with orange markers. Arrive at a crossroads.

(6) Turn right towards "Royat (steep slope)" and cross another stream. At the T-junction, with signs pointing in 3 directions, turn right towards Royat. Ignore a shortcut to Royat on the right. You will come to a crossroads with a sheltered bench and an old Touring Club de France Michelin sign.

(7) Turn right. Ignore another shortcut to the right, then cross a stream on a bridge. Reach a wider path just after passing a signpost indicating, in the direction you are coming from, "Charade par Montmiel.

(8) Turn left onto the path that climbs upwards (no direction or signs). At a fork in the road, turn left, ignoring a path that is not shown on the map and that whizzes off to the left. You will come to a path level with a bench and a signpost.

(9) Turn left towards "Charade, Rocher du Salut".

(10) About 200m further on, ignore a track on the left that leads to the Rocher du Salut and which you will take on the way back. Immediately after, turn right onto a path marked in blue. At the start of several paths, follow the Blue arrows and the main path, then just after, ignore a path on the left.

At the next junction, leave the Blue markings, which continue straight ahead, and turn left following the Yellow line markings. You will come to a track on the edge of the Charade golf course. There is a sign on the left.

Turn left in the direction of "Royat par la Pauze", go through the barrier prohibiting vehicles from entering the path and continue along the track. Pass a bench and the signpost "Chemin de la Pauze". Ignore the track on the left and follow the signs for Royat par la Pauze. Ignore two paths on the left which join (path taken on the outward journey).

(10) Turn right on the path and return to Rocher du Salut ⁽¹⁾. Ignore the small ^PR®® signs for a path to the right. Bench and viewpoint at the top of the rock. Go back down the same path.

(10) Take the path on the right, still following the yellow markings.

(9) Continue straight ahead on the path. Ignore the signs for Royat via les Rivaux on the right. When you reach the first houses in Royat, go through the gate and continue left along the road.

(11) Turn left and drive below the chapel. At the roundabout, go straight ahead, then turn left at the fork in the road into Rue Jean Grand. Cross the boulevard (Docteur Romeuf) at the Barrairas bus stop. Leave the yellow line markings and follow the yellow disc markings and Rue de la Grande Porte.

Cross the Rue Nationale and turn slightly right into the Rue Cohendi to reach the Église Saint-Léger. Go around the church to the right onto the square.

(12) Go down a few steps, turn left and go down the stairs to reach a bridge over the Tiretaine.

Cross the river and turn right into the Parc des Thermes ⁽²⁾. Shortly afterwards, cross the Tiretaine again on a purple footbridge, note the beautiful fountain with a faun's head set against the cliff on the right, then keep to the right of the river, ignoring the paths, also marked in Yellow, which climb up on the left.

Go around the playground to the left and continue along the river on your left. Further on, cross the Tiretaine again at the "La vie autour de l'arbre" sign.

(13) Leave the park at the large geology signs, immediately turn right onto a path that runs alongside the car park, then go down a few steps to the left. Follow the road to the right.

You will arrive on Boulevard Vaquez, with the Royat thermal baths ⁽³⁾ and the "Quartier Thermal" sign on the opposite side of the boulevard. Turn right onto the boulevard and then, a few metres further on, turn right under a doorway and take the stairs up to reach Boulevard Barrieu, on the left of the beautiful Hôtel Victoria ⁽⁴⁾. Cross the boulevard(with care) then turn left.

(14) Turn right into Rue Jocelyn Bargouin. At the fork in the road, turn left (one way only). Keep going straight up. At the end of this street, turn left towards the entrance to Parc Bargouin ⁽⁵⁾. Do not enter the park, but continue along the road to the left. You will come to a small roundabout. Cross the Rue des Montagnards and continue on Chemin de Montaudoux.

(15) At the end of this road, at the fork in the road, follow the path on the right. Ignore the first path on the right (which climbs to the top of the puy ⁽⁶⁾), then a path on the left, then another path on the right (which also climbs to the top of the puy ⁽⁶⁾).

Come to the end of a road, Rue du Docteur Lepetit Prolongée. Turn right onto the wide path. Reach the ruined house and the old quarry.

(1) Take the path on the left to reach the clinic car park(S/E).

Moderately difficult hike, standard hiking equipment.

Parking spaces available(2) near the crèche or along the road. Access via the D941c, turn left at the roundabout after the Intermarché roundabout. The "la Brune" bus stop (line 26) is located not far from the D941c roundabout, just before(2).

(10) This route can be shortened by skipping the short loop and going straight up to Rocher du Salut.

⁽⁶⁾ For the more courageous, it is possible to go over the summit of Montaudoux along these paths. Yellow butterfly signposting. But be careful! Very steep ascent and descent. Difficult.

Some photos here

(1) Former pozzolan quarry in the chestnut grove.

⁽¹⁾ Viewpoint from the Rocher du Salut, overlooking Clermont, the Puy de Gravenoire and the valley followed in the first part of this hike.

(12) Old town and fortified church of Royat.

⁽²⁾ The Parc des Thermes de Royat, a very pleasant park along the Tiretaine. Numerous enamelled lava panels tell the story of the earth's geological history.

⁽³⁾ Just cross Boulevard Vaquez to visit the spa district off the beaten track: Buvette Eugénie near the boulevard, and further on, near the casino, along the Tiretaine, the remains of the Roman thermal baths and the Saint-Mart spring pavilion.

⁽⁴⁾ Beautiful hotels and private houses in the area around the Royat thermal baths. In(14), off the circuit, a short straight round trip on the bend in the boulevard allows you to admire the façade of the former Hôtel Majestic and the Pavillon Majestic.

⁽⁵⁾ Parc Bargoin, with its beautiful trees, off the route.