The Artout circus

Guidebook with maps/step-by-step

Step 1 : From the start sign, with your back to the chapel, find a narrow passage between a wall and a stable about 30 m to the right, at the corner of the dry-stone wall. Enter this passage and, rising between houses and gardens, reach a road. Cross the road and take the path on the left, sloping upwards towards the pastures. When you come to a crossroads, take the one opposite (view of the Artout valley). After 400 m, turn right at the plateau and follow the path to a stepladder.

Step 2 : Cross the stepladder and follow the fence to the right, until you reach another stepladder. Just after the water catchment enclosure, go around a series of wetlands from above, then rejoin the fence and cross a third stepladder (panoramic view from the Sancy to the Margeride). From the point where the fence forms a right angle, descend a steep slope to the right alongside the fence, cross a small stream and, still close to the fence, climb up to a stepladder. Cross it, turn left and walk along the fence for a few metres until you reach a faint path on the right, plunging into the forest.

Step 3 : Carefully follow this path as it winds steeply downhill (remarkable trees). At the end of the descent, take the road to the right for 100 metres. Turn left onto a path up to a stepladder. Cross the stepladder, immediately turn right and, ten metres further on, left. Reach the hamlet of Artout and continue straight ahead on the path for 400 metres until you reach an intersection.

Step 4 : Turn right onto the track which, after crossing the streams, climbs up to the road (D721). Cross the road and take the stony track opposite, which runs through Le Luguet. Continue between houses, ignoring two streets on the left. At the fork in the road, turn right and head downhill towards the chapel. At the chapel, turn right to return to the starting point.

Proposed and managed by the Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme – PDIPR.