Three small volcanic hills in a row (puys)

Start: On the D941 road, at the Vulcania roundabout, take the Chanat-la-Mouteyre road (D559) and, after about 200 meters, park in the car park left of the road.

(S/E) From the parking spot, head West, parallel to the D559, following a small Blue PR^® sign, as well as the Red and White markings of the GR^®°4/441. Follow these signs until otherwise indicated. The wide, rutted path comes to a junction. Leave the GR^® markings and continue to the right, following the Blue markings.

(1) After 1 Km, at a junction with a wide path on the left, notice a small Yellow sign on the right indicating 'Fontaine des Pères'.

Here, you can take a detour right by crossing the fence on the dedicated walkway (not really practical) and follow the small path which passes an old shepherd's wagon (A) and climbs to the left to reach an impressive string of small drinking troughs (B). Then, return to the path along the same way and over the same fence.

(1) Take the right-hand path again, ignoring a few left-hand paths until you reach a fork in the path and come to a GR^® waymarker. Leave the Blue markings and follow the GR^®4 straight ahead North-West.

(2) About 100 m further on, turn right leaving the GR^® waymarker. Further on, pass two Yellow markers, one after the other, marked 955m, and each time continue straight on in the direction of Le Bouchet. Reach a path junction of four paths at the 946m waymarker, and the "CHUT!" sculpture. (C).

(3) Turn right and continue straight ahead on this path. Pass the "Forêt de Beauregard" sign and continue between pine trees and beech woods. At a fork, turn right (Yellow markings).

(4) At the next fork, ignore a PR^® signposted in Yellow on the left and turn right following the "Puys de Jumes et de la Coquille" circuit (Yellow sign). Ignore a path on the right at a sign prohibiting mountain bikes.

(5) At the next junction, find the GR^®441 and follow it to the right, also following a Yellow signpost and the direction of Puy de Jumes (Yellow sign). The path rapidly rises and reaches the edge of the crater. Continue left to skirt the crater, through a hornbeam wood.

(6) Pass a small yellow sign indicating altitude 1161m at Puy de Jumes (D) summit and continue on the trail equipped with stairs. Further on, to the south of the crater, take a short detour along a path that veers off to the right to reach an open esplanade offering a fine view, then pick up the signposted path again. This descends then rises up again to reach the sign indicating altitude 1152 for Puy de la Coquille (D).

(7) Continue on the path, heading South. Further on, again, take a short detour to the right, which leads to a promontory with a fine view. Return to the path, which steeply descends.

(8) At the first crossroads, continue left (GR^®) then, a few metres further on at the crossroads, (marker 1022m), continue left towards "Bois de Clermont". At the next intersection, ignore the track opposite and follow the right-hand bend.

The path then bends left to go around Puy de Clermont. Arrive at the "Bois de Clermont" signpost. Continue left towards Puy Chopine. After about 50 m, ignore a left-hand path and come to a crossroads opposite the "Forêt de Fontêtes" sign.

(9) Follow the GR^® markings to the right. At the next crossroads, at the "Puy Chopine" marker, join the GR^®4 and climb to the left towards Puy des Gouttes, also following a Blue sign. Walk through a beech forest, then follow the path, which has been laid out to limit erosion, and cross a stile. Higher up, you come to the edge of the Puy des Gouttes crater (E).

(10) Go around the crater on the path that offers a wide view, then continue on the path that steeply descends through a beautiful beech forest. The Blue markings become inconspicuous, so follow the GR^® markings. At the bottom, turn left and cross a stile at the 969m marker.

(11) On the other side, turn right towards Puy de Chaumont. At a fork in the road, at the "Puy de Chaumont" marker, turn right towards "Fontaine des Pères". Continue straight ahead to find the parking lot (S/E).

Start & Parking: On the D941 road, at the Vulcania roundabout, take the Chanat-la-Mouteyre road (D559) and, after about 200 meters, park in the car park left of the road..

In the wake of the Chaîne des Puys being declared a UNESO World Heritage Site, there is a project to develop access to Puy Chopine. To be continued ...

Stiles : Beware! Hikers with large dogs: two stiles at the end of the route.

Photo album here and here

(A) Old shepherd's wagon. Mobile enclosures made of wooden racks and shepherd's huts on wheels, which already appear on 15th century illuminations, persisted, little modified, until the 1970s. Their use was necessary on pastures far from villages, or on plots that needed to be smoked. See document 3 on this site link.

(B) La Fontaine des Pères supplied water for the sheep in the village of Les Fontêtes.

(C) CHUT! A sculpture by Thierry Courtadon, an artist who specialises in sculpting Volvic stone, which is notoriously difficult to shape. Another of his sculptures can be found near the start of this hike, "VULCANIA", at the traffic circle on the D941.

(D) The puys de Jumes et Coquille (or Jumes et de la Coquille, according to various spellings, all official!) are strombolian basaltic scoria cones characterised by fairly fluid lava. These puys feature shallow but well-defined craters.

(E) At the summit of the Puy des Gouttes, there's a breathtaking view of the rocky Puy Chopine needle, a protrusion in the Puy des Gouttes crater. The original shape of the Puy Chopine is a real eye-catcher: it's the finest example of a needle in the Chaîne des Puys.