Le Vaulmier walks

Pleasant circular walk through the woods in the Marilhou Valley, where you can see a small waterfall and the ruins of a medieval village.

A superb hike along a ridge with views of the Cantal mountains.

A beautiful three-day hike, sleeping in a bivouac, with interesting variations in altitude.

Stage 3 of our Tour du Cantal / GR®400. Departure above the hamlet of Récusset, at the end of the long forest track. The upper part of this hike is on open tracks with no shade. The descent, although some sections are shaded, remains exposed.

This easy walk will take you to the summit of Puy Violent, where you can admire a superb 360° view of the Aurillac plain and Puy Mary. Above the Croix des Vachers, an orientation table will tell you the name of each peak.

A circular route in the village of Trizac, before setting off to explore the Bois du Fayet, where the Marilhou stream flows.

Stage 4 of our Tour du Cantal / GR®400 Another beautiful stage alternating between summer pastures, forests, ridges, peaks (puy) and passes. Long, with quite a lot of elevation gain and loss. Bring plenty of water!

A long walk along the ridges allows you to enjoy the view of the Puy du Cantal, the Puy de Sancy and the Plomb du Cantal. Pass through the Brèche de Roland and return to the Cirque d'Eylac with the marmots.

The circuit offers magnificent panoramic views of twelve valleys from the summit. Puy Mary, a veritable pyramid when seen from the sky, rises to 1,783 metres. In the heart of the Cantalien Massif, it is surrounded by exceptional landscapes formed by volcanic activity and glacial erosion, representing the largest volcano in Europe (2,700 km²).

A circular route passing by the summit of Puy de Menoyre, which was once a viewpoint... and also the site of an old quarry.

Pleasant, shaded circular route offering beautiful views of the village and lake, punctuated by carved stone sculptures.

Climb to the summit of the famous Puy Mary from the south-east, via a very pleasant trail, leaving your car quite far away to avoid the crowds of visitors who gather at the Pas de Peyrol. Some hikers may find this hike a little difficult, see reviews.

Cross the beautiful high-altitude beech forest in the Bois Mary, then follow the path along the ridge of the Monts du Cantal. This hike alternates between shade in the first half and sunshine and magnificent views in the second half.

A double circular route through the countryside, starting from Riom-ès-Montagne, to discover a pond, a dolmen and basalt columns. See Practical Information for a shorter and less tarmac route (12.7 km).

A very pleasant short walk to discover the Salins waterfall, the Monzola stream and the village of Salins, mostly in the shade of the undergrowth. There are many points of interest along the route to keep children interested (waterfall, rope bridge, river, etc.). The path is fully marked in blue. A huge thank you to the Communauté de Communes du Pays de Mauriac for developing and maintaining this walk.

Round trip above Mandailles, in the vast cirque of Fours de Peyre-Arse and the sources of the Jordanne. Not to be missed: both green and mountainous; magnificent landscapes, moderate difficulty. Climb under the trees, then through the meadows, then walk along an easy ridge path. 360° views in the foreground of the entire Auvergne volcano chain. No difficulty on the route. Marked but regular ascents/descents and a short climb to pass the Brèche de Rolland.

This loop, which starts a few kilometres from Mandaille, will take you to the Col de Cabre and the foot of Puy Griou. With panoramic views of the Cantaliens mountains and forests, this hike, with its varied terrain, is particularly enjoyable in warm weather.

A beautiful, not too difficult walk with magnificent scenery. Ideal for discovering the landscapes of the Cantal.

A short, fairly easy hike from the Puy Mary campsite in Mandailles, which allows you to walk in the hills east of the village and return via the Gorges de la Jordanne (when the water level allows).

A day's walk in magnificent surroundings, using theGR® trails in the area. We are within sight of Puy Chavaroche and Puy Mary.

Visit to a practically perfect cone that could have inspired the builders of the pyramids if they had known the Massif Central and particularly this Cantalian summit.

Stage 5 of our Tour du Cantal / GR®400A forest stage (therefore shaded) with two potential climbs: the Puy de l'Usclade and the Puy Griou. * Editor's note: we have also decided not to follow the original GR®400 route, which makes a long detour to the Col de Pertus, which we don't think is worth the effort. We will reach the Col de Gliziou via the PR® (orange and green markings) which climb up the Ruisseau du Luc valley.

Stage 2 of our Tour du Cantal / GR®400. A long and challenging stage due to the heat in June. It might be better to split the stages differently. Some very beautiful sections, particularly the arrival on the ridge before Puy Mary, the area around Puy de la Tourte, etc. More difficult sections: the Brèche de Rolland, the Luchard plateau and the long descent to Falgoux. It should be noted that the ascent of Puy Mary is not compulsory.

An easy, shaded approach to this iconic peak in the Monts du Cantal, with its perfect cone shape and superb views. However, the final climb is quite technical and challenging.

From the Col du Pertus, discover the village of Mandailles and the hamlets of Larmandie and Liadouze on the banks of the Jordanne. On both the outward and return journeys, gaps in the forest offer beautiful views of the valley, the Chavaroche and Puy Mary massifs, as well as the Gliziou and Puy Griou. Update 2025: see practical information

Puy de l'Usclade is little known, but offers a beautiful view of Puy Griou and the other surrounding peaks. The first part of the walk, up to Col de Gliziou, is easy and shaded, and fairly busy, while the second part is less frequented and ends with a steeper section.

This is a fairly easy short hike to a beautiful promontory offering a panoramic view of the main Monts du Cantal and the Jordanne and Cère valleys.

Starting from the Col du Pertus, climb quickly to the heights for a long walk along the ridge, which offers beautiful views. Then discover a few villages in the Jordanne valley before climbing back up to the pass through the pastures.The Visorando app is useful for following this route at the end of the walk.

This beautiful route, starting from the Col de Font de Cère, crosses the pastures of the Cantal, passing successively through the Col de Rombière and the Puy de Peyre Arse, ending at the Puy Mary, the second highest peak in the Cantal, via the iconic Brèche de Rolland, a slightly technical passage. Those who are prone to vertigo should take care on this section. Throughout this hike, the 360° panoramic views allow you to admire the beautiful mountainous countryside of the Monts du Cantal.

A short route to a legendary summit, offering beautiful panoramic views of the Puy mountains in the Cantal region.

The summit of Puy Griou has a characteristic cone shape and can be seen from afar. Located in the heart of the Cantalian volcano, it offers a superb panorama. The proposed route, which is fairly short, has the advantage of avoiding the Super Lioran ski resort facilities.

Starting from the chapel dedicated to Puy Griou, a circular route allows you to discover this unmissable summit of the Cantal volcano, crossing forests, summer pastures and hamlets on the slopes of the Cère valley.

The tour of the Font d'Alagnon cirque, passing by two peaks, is the programme for this walk above the small resort of Le Lioran, which offers beautiful panoramic views of the Cantal volcanic massif.

Fond d'Alagnon will be the starting point for your hike. Follow the ridge towards Puy Griou, passing by Bec de l'Aigle and Téton de Vénus. Along the way, you will enjoy numerous views of Plomb Cantal, Puy Mary, Peyre Arse and many other peaks.

An extraordinary ridge route allowing you to visit three peaks and enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the entire Cantalian puys for much of the route.