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The parking spot is near the village of Chauzeix on a small road off the D121 road east of the village of Chauzeix, which serves two houses and continues as a farm track. Parking is available on the side of this small road in the grass at the bend below the last house, on both sides of the small road (see GPS coordinates).
(S/E) Leave the parking area by walking up towards the last house (the start of the circuit is on theGR®46). The small road gives way to a farm track as soon as you pass the last house.
Turn left onto the farm track (unmarked) which joins the D121 road after about 100 metres.
Turn right and take the D121 road with caution (fairly narrow road with reduced visibility).
The route now follows theGR®440orGRP® de Monédières.
(1) Shortly after a wide left-hand bend, take the farm track on the left, which climbs slightly. This track leads to the hamlet of Branceau. Continue straight ahead on this farm track, which becomes a forest track as it enters the forest.
Leave the path serving the Branceau locality on your right.
(2) At a hairpin bend, take the level path on the right which goes around the Puy de Chauzeix. The path descends slightly before turning left and climbing steadily towards the top of the Cirque de Freysselines. Continue straight ahead on this marked path (GR® 440).
(3) After crossing a small valley with a stream that is tapped for the village of Freysselines below, leave a dead-end path on your left. The path now goes around the Suc au May.
The slope of the path increases and the path climbs in a hairpin bend towards a crossroads near the summit. The path eventually joins a small road (which serves as theGR®440after the summit of the Knoll).
Turn left onto this small road, which immediately joins the D128E road.
(4) At the crossroads, turn left onto the D128E, which continues uphill after a short flat section.
(5) Turn right onto the small road closed by a barrier that leads to the summit of Suc au May. Continue to the summit where you will find an orientation table.
(6) Enjoy the splendid panorama from the orientation table at Suc au May, at an altitude of 908 metres, over the entire region (beautiful views of Freysselines, the Étang de Ganezande and the surrounding area) and, in good weather, the volcanic chains of the Monts du Cantal, Mont Dore and Puys d'Auvergne.
Descend from the Suc au May, initially following the same route.
Then take a path on the right just before the barrier that closes this small road. From this point onwards, there are no more signposts. The path quickly joins a small road.
(7) At this point, turn right and continue along a forest path that goes around the summit of the Suc au May.
The path leads to a small pass between the Suc au May and the Puy de Chauzeix. Continue along the path after crossing this small pass and begin the descent below the summit of the Puy de Chauzeix, then down its slopes.
Continue along this path until you reach a forest road.
(8) Turn left onto the forest road and follow it to the crossroads at a hairpin bend.
(2) From there, return to the starting point by following the same route you took on the way there (the path is marked asGR®440-GRP® des Monédières).
As a reminder, drive carefully along the D121 road for seven to eight hundred metres until you reach the car park (S/E).
). We did the circuit in 1 hour 45 minutes in beautiful weather with superb autumn colours.
Visorando member
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