Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite

Park in the car park to the left of the lodge (start of the Chamina ‘Le Puy d’Alou’^PR® 28 route).

(S/E) Take the road that runs past the lodge towards the cemetery.

(1) Take the first path on the right which runs along the Serre plateau to the hamlet of Cluchat.

(2) Continue to the right through the hamlet and walk past the wash houses on your left. Stay on the path opposite, which descends towards the bottom of the valley (south-east).

(3) At the bottom of the valley, take the path on the left and stay on this path for 600 m.

(4) At the crossroads, turn right and continue along the^PR® 28 until you reach the road. First turn right then left, and take the wide track (magnificent view of the Sancy massif). Continue along the track until you reach the crossroads with a sign for a menhir on the right and a dolmen on the left.

(5) Carry on straight ahead for 100 m. At the next junction, leave the track that descends to the right and take the path opposite towards ‘Grottes de Châteauneuf’ (views of Murol Castle and the Sancy massif). A steep but short climb to the Puy de Châteauneuf. You’ll reach the Grottes de Châteauneuf.

(6) Turn back for a few metres, then turn right and begin the^first part of the descent towards Saint-Nectaire, which is a little tricky. Arrive in Saint-Nectaire, walk round the church (well worth a visit as it is one of the major Romanesque churches in Auvergne) then head down to the left to the entrance to the Cornadore Caves on the D996.

(7) Cross the bridge opposite the entrance to the caves. Then take the road that climbs to the left for 400 m (follow the^GR®30–^PR® 26 towards Lac Chambon – Murol), turn right and then right again, following the^GR®, until you reach a junction.

(8) Stay on the path on the right – this is the^GR®30– until you reach the D996.

(9) Turn left onto it for about 150 m, then turn right onto the^GR® and continue to the hamlet of Chautignat. Magnificent views of Murol Castle and the Sancy massif.

(10) In the hamlet, leave the^GR®30on your left and carry on straight ahead towards Lac Chambon. Take the road that climbs to the right, pass the fountain (on your right), then stay on the road until you reach the D5.

(11) Cross it and take the track leading uphill opposite for about 250 m.
After the water tower, take the path on the left. This follows the northern edge of the Dent du Marais volcanic cirque for about 400 m.
Ignore the path (G30) that branches off to the left along the western edge of the cirque and carry on straight ahead towards Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite.

(12) At the Croix de Barbat junction, carry on to the right until you reach the village of Beaune-le-Froid. Cross the stream, reach the fountain and take the road that climbs to the left, heading north, until you reach the village outskirts.

(13) Turn left, follow the road for about 200 m, then, at the crossroads with the cross, turn right onto the track leading uphill. Carry on straight ahead, heading north-west, for about 1,500 m.

(14) At the end of the track, turn left for 40 m, then turn right and head for the “Bois de Saignes (elevation 1224)” junction. Take the right-hand track towards Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite. Follow this track through the Bois de Saignes for just under 3 kilometres.

(15) Please take care from this point onwards (there are numerous junctions within short distances; check the map carefully). At this large junction, the track curves to the right; do not follow it, but take the path on the left instead. Continue for about 70 to 80 metres; when you reach another junction of small paths, take the one on the right for about 40 metres until the next junction. Take the path that branches off to the right at the bend and carry on straight ahead. After about 300 m, you’ll reach another junction; carry on straight ahead (do not take the signposted path on the left which leads to Mareuge). At the end of the path, turn right to join the D5 road and turn left. Follow the D5 for 250 m until you reach the wayside cross and cross over.

(16) At the wayside cross, there are two paths: one heading south, the other east.
Take the one heading east for about 600 m, turn right and continue straight on to the starting point (S/E).

If you encounter any difficulties during this walk, please let me know in the comments exactly where the problem is (e.g. between point 14 and point 15...) so that I can visit the site and make the necessary corrections.
Thank you and enjoy your walk.

(S/E) At the start or finish, do pop along to the Sainte-Marguerite fountain.
(5) To the right and left of the path, a 15-minute round trip, are the Freydefont menhir and the Pineyre dolmen.
Châteauneuf Caves.
(5, 6 and 9) Magnificent views of Murol Castle and the Sancy mountain range.
(8) Path to the left, 2 mins, the Croix Saint-Roch menhir.
(9) Educational wildlife park, with kangaroos and beavers
Nearby along the path, the Dent du Marais volcanic cirque