Puy de Combegrasse via Espinasse and La Garandie

Leave your vehicle in the Puy de Combebrasse hikers' car park, on the edge of the D983.

Yellow^PR®® markings in the opposite direction, not very visible

(S/E) Go to the stop sign on the north side of the car park, cross the D983 carefully, and follow the path opposite. Go straight ahead to the four-way crossroads. Turn left and continue straight ahead on this path until you reach a road.

(1) Follow it to the right, cross a stream, then immediately turn onto the path on the left. Go straight ahead on this grassy path, with a stream on either side, until you reach a four-way intersection.

(2) Turn left, join the D983 and cross carefully, then continue straight ahead to join the road that enters Espinasse. Stay on this road to cross the village, ignoring all side streets and passing two wash houses. You will arrive at Ferme Chabot (cheese shop).

(3) Turn onto the path on the left just behind the farm. At the intersection of four paths (only three on the IGN map), turn left onto the path that runs alongside the Narse stream and continue to the T-junction with a^GR®® marked path^. Turn left and shortly afterwards you will arrive at the Narse d'Espinasse marker.

(4) Do not follow the^GR®® but take the path behind the marker that climbs up to Puy de l'Enfer (view of the Narse below). At the top, ignore the path on the left and descend until you reach the^GR®® marked path at the Les Quairas marker.

Red and white^GR®® markings

(5) Do not follow the inverted yellow markings, and turn right.

Brown mountain bike markings

Shortly afterwards, at a fork in the path, leave the^GR®® markings and follow the path on the left, marked for mountain bikes. Ignore a path on the left. The route goes around Puy de Montcharlet. Ignore another path on the left, which leads to the top of the hill, a summit that is of no interest. Continue around the hill, ignore two more paths on the left, turn right at the T-junction and join a crossroads of roads and paths.

No markings

(6) Leave the mountain bike trail and take the first road on the left to reach the hamlet of La Garandie. Continue to the T-junction with the road that crosses the hamlet. Turn right and continue straight ahead, ignoring the side streets. Pass two drinking fountains. At the fork in the road, just after a covered wash house, follow the left-hand street and pass another drinking fountain. Continue straight ahead to leave the hamlet, passing a campsite on your left.

^GR®® Red and White markings

(7) Shortly after the campsite, turn left onto a^GR®® marked trail, following the direction indicated by the wooden^PR®® Combegrasse signs. The trail goes around the campsite and arrives at a four-way crossroads.

Yellow markings in the opposite direction, not very visible

Leave the^GR®® markings and turn right, following the^PR®® Combegrasse direction. You will arrive at an unnamed marker with directional signs.

(8) Ignoring the directions indicated, turn right and then immediately right onto a grassy path. Go through a gate (in summer, sheep graze here), keep left at the fork in the path and start climbing more steeply. At the next fork, keep right. Further up, go through a gap in the fence on the right and you will come to a crossroads.

(9) Go left towards Panorama sur le Massif du Sancy and arrive at the orientation table. Turn around.

(9) At the intersection with the uphill trail, continue straight ahead. Pass through a gate and arrive at the Chaîne des Puys orientation table. Descend via the path which, at first, runs down the pozzolan, then becomes easier. Go through a gap in a fence and you will arrive at an open space, the former terrace of a quarry. Continue along the path, passing several gaps and fence barriers, in front of a water reservoir. At the bottom, find the path you left to climb the puy, at the directional marker.

(8) Turn right towards Retour parking, ignore a path on the right and return to the hikers' car park (S/E).

Hike of moderate difficulty, rather easy, no difficulty, standard hiking equipment required.

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

Photo album here

Unobstructed views along the entire route, 360° panorama at the summit of Puy de Combegrasse and two orientation tables.

Passage near the Narse d'Espinasse, now a marsh, a protected natural site, which you can explore by turning left at the signpost of the same name (4).

Pass through two hamlets with traditional architecture, featuring many fountains, wash houses and drinking troughs. At La Garandie, on the outskirts of the hamlet, just before the sports field, a detour to the right allows you to discover yet another fountain-drinking trough with a covered wash house.