Puy-de-Dôme variant of the Tour des Vaches Rouges

The Puy-de-Dôme variant : Brion-Bas – Rentières – Ardes – Mazoires – Parrot

Splendid panoramas alternate between the Rentières valley and the Aigle rock, the Strougoux caves, the Margeride, the Artout cirque, the Signal du Luguet, the Sancy massif, the Puy de Dôme and the Chaîne des Puys, as well(…)

The Puy-de-Dôme variant : Brion-Bas – Rentières – Ardes – Mazoires – Parrot

Splendid panoramas alternate between the Rentières valley and the Aigle rock, the Strougoux caves, the Margeride, the Artout cirque, the Signal du Luguet, the Sancy massif, the Puy de Dôme and the Chaîne des Puys, as well as from Forez to the Margeride and the Mézenc.

This variant is completed in at least 2 stages (24km in 7.30 hrs and 24.5 km in 7.45 hrs), with a stopover in Ardes-sur-Couze.

Stage 1 : Brion to Ardes-sur-Couze
Distance : 24km
Time : 7h30
Cumulative elevation gain : 420 m
Departure point : Brion-Bas. At the Berger Transhumance hut (artwork “Horizons Sancy 2017”) on the access road to the foirail, 30 m from its junction with the RD 63.

Departure point : Go down towards the RD 36, cross it and continue straight ahead. Leave a track on your right. Cross the stream on a pontoon bridge and rejoin the path. Continue as far as La Cabane. Take the D126 (towards Ardes-sur-Couze) for 20 m, then the D142 (towards Rentières). 30 m before a right-hand bend, turn left up the track towards the wind turbines. Go through the barrier on the right and reach wind turbine number 1 (view of the Rentières valley). Go through a 2nd barrier and, 150 m further on, a 3rd at road level. Follow the road to the left, until you reach the metal barrier at the ferme du Coq on the right.

1 – Go through it and continue along a wide panoramic path, leaving a 2nd field of wind turbines on your left. At the first intersection, just before the 3rd field of wind turbines, continue right on a balcony overlooking the Rentières valley. Go through a village (Zanières) and at its exit, turn left onto a wide track. Stay on the main path. Reach a road. Turn left as far as the left-hand bend.

2 – Turn right on a wide downhill track to a crossroads. Go right, staying on the main track. At the edge of a village (Rentières), turn right and pass by a tower. At the fork, go left. Follow the couze d’Ardes to a road. Follow the road to the left for 400 m, then turn right onto a path that crosses the couze d’Ardes. Cross a stream on the right and take a steep path leading to a road. Follow this to the left until you reach a hamlet (Chalagnat).

3 – Turn left onto the downhill track. Ignore a path rising to the right, continue into the woods and leave another path to the right (rising to the ruins of Château de Mercoeur). After the theme marker, go downhill and turn right at the intersection. Continue as far as the entrance to Ardes-sur-Couze. Turn left down the main street, cross the Place du Foirail, walk alongside the covered market hall and 200 m further on, turn right into Rue du Regard. Turn left onto Avenue Maréchal Leclerc to reach the vacation village.

Stage 2 : Back to Anzat-le-Luguet
Distance : 24.5 km
Time : 7hrs 45mins
Cumulative elevation gain : 1130 m
Departure point : Village vacances d’Ardes-sur-Couze

Departure point : From the vacation village of Ardes-sur-Couze, head towards the rescue center, turn left into rue Maréchal Leclerc, then right into rue du Regard. Turn left up rue du Commerce, cross Place du Foirail and continue. At the crossroads, turn right onto chemin de Gannat. Wind your way up and, at the intersection, turn left. Pass a theme marker and climb a stony path. Leave the path leading up to the ruins of Château de Mercoeur on your left and continue straight ahead through the woods to the road.

1 – Follow the road to the left. Pass through Chalagnat and continue on the road (view of the Rentières valley/Aigle rock) to the last hamlet (Granges). At the end of the bend, take the path to the right (view of the Strougoux caves). Cross a stream. At the fork, continue uphill to the left (possibility of descending to the right as far as the Sainte-Pezade chapel, 15 min AR, picnic table). Leave a path on the right. At the next fork, turn left and climb up to a road at the entrance to a village (Mazoires). Turn left, pass the church on the right and 150 m further on, turn right onto a wide track. Ignore all side roads until you reach a T-junction.

2 – Go left up the forest road to an intersection at the edge of the forest. Turn right. At the 2nd Canadian crossing, turn left. Leave a track on the right (view of the Margeride). Follow the edge of the forest to a small hunters’ watchtower. 20 m after the watchtower, turn left, then left 2 more times, until you reach a T-junction (point 1245 m).

3 – Go right. At the crossroads of 4 paths, continue straight on to the Parrot parking lot (after leaving the woods, panoramic view of the cirque d’Artout, Signal du Luguet, Sancy massif, puy de Dôme and Chaîne des Puys).
NB : At this point, the variant ends ; you return to the “Tour des Vaches Rouges” circuit.

4 – From the parking lot, turn left and follow the road towards Le Buffier. At a ruined house, take the path on the left. After a right-hand bend (view from Forez to La Margeride and the Mézenc), continue downhill (view of the cirque d’Artoux), then cross a stream. At the fork, turn left and climb up to a road. Cross the road and turn left onto the wide track. Go through the village of Le Luguet to the chapel (picnic table).