Puy des Goules, Puy des Gouttes

Park in the Goules car park, on the edge of the D941, west of the Fontaine du Berger.
Please note: this hike is not fully signposted.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance and, at the yellow signs, follow the path on the left towards Puy des Goules. You will come to a wide path and continue on the left. Pass a forestry company and arrive at a crossroads with yellow signs.

(1) Keep left towards Puy des Goules. Further on, the trail has been re-laid: follow the directions for Puy des Goules indicated by the wooden signs. At a T-junction, turn left and then right to reach a junction with a trail.

(2) Turn right and you will immediately see a sign saying "Montgoulède, interdit aux groupes et VTT" (Montgoulède, no groups or mountain bikes). Pass through a gate shortly afterwards. Further on, ignore the path on the right that climbs up to the Grotte du Sarcoui.

(3) About 100 metres further on, at a yellow sign, take the path on the left that climbs to the top of Puy des Goules. At the top, you will see more signs and follow the direction "Tour du cratère". This tour will take you back to the same signs. Then follow the same route back down.

(3) When you reach the yellow signs, take the path that branches off to the left behind them. This path follows the valley and is not signposted but clearly visible. When you reach a junction with a track, continue to the left. Near a road (D941) that you cannot see but can hear, you will come to a crossroads.

(4) Turn right, passing a sign saying "Forêt privée" (private forest; stay on the path). Shortly afterwards, ignore a grassy path on the left and you will come to another fork, where you should turn left. At a crossroads with four paths, continue straight ahead, slightly to the left. You will very quickly come to a road.

(5) Continue straight ahead, passing the "Forêt de Chanat" sign. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on either side, until you reach another path at the signs. You will also see the red and white^GR®®441markings. Follow these^GR®® markings until further notice.

(6) Follow the^GR®® on the right towards Puy des Gouttes. After about 100 metres, ignore a path on the right and then, immediately after, turn left, crossing a stile to enter an area of mountain pastures. The path then climbs straight up the slope through a beautiful beech forest. It is quite easy to lose your way, especially as the markings are quite far apart, but just follow the fence of a meadow on your right. Higher up, the path reappears as you leave the beech forest. You will then find yourself on the rim of the Puy des Gouttes crater. Continue along this ridge.

(7) Further along the crater ridge, look for a post marked^GR®® and turn right to descend from the summit via a well-maintained path that runs alongside a small wetland. Cross a ladder to leave the summer pasture area and continue through the undergrowth. At a T-junction, turn right towards Bois de Charmont (^GR®®441).

(8) At the intersection, at the yellow signs and a sign for "Forêt de Fontête", leave the^GR®® and continue straight ahead on a path. A few metres before reaching a more open, gravelly area (crossroads), descend to the left, to the left of a tree bearing brown and red mountain bike markings (plus a possibly temporary Amilpattes marking).

(9) About 250 metres further on, where the brown mountain bike signs continue straight ahead, turn onto a grassy path on the right (Amilpattes sign). Pass the edge of a small clearing and continue straight ahead on a wide path. Ignore a path on the left. You will arrive at a clearing, which is used as a logging area and car park. Turn slightly left to join a road.

(10) Cross and take the path opposite (small administrative sign for the Chanat la Mouteyre Regional Nature Park). Further on, ignore a private path on the right. You will come to a wide path and follow it to the right. Shortly afterwards, ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead, following the yellow markings.

(11) At a crossroads, continue straight ahead to enter the woods. About 200 metres further on, cross a road and continue on the path opposite, ignoring another path that branches off to the right just after.

(12) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. The next crossroads marks the start of the loop.

(1) Continue straight ahead along the same route as on the way there. Be careful not to miss the path on the right, at the wooden sign, to return to the Parking des Goules (S/E).

This is a moderately difficult hike requiring standard hiking equipment.

The climb to the summit of Puy des Gouttes is quite steep.

A few photos here

Beautiful panoramic views from the summits of the two puys.

At the summit of Puy des Gouttes, note another puy to the north, nearby: Puy Chopine. This puy is actually a protrusion from Puy des Gouttes, formed in the crater of the latter.

The route passes through coniferous forests and beautiful mixed forests.