The long Sancy loop (from Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise / 84 km) 2024

Étape 1

From the “Boucle du Sancy” sign, take the stairs under the porch of the Médiathèque. At the exit, turn left, cross Place de la Gayme towards the Belfry; pass under the porch, turn left and climb up to the traffic circle. Go straight ahead, between the sports hall and the war memorial. Continue straight ahead until you reach the road. Turn right for 200 m, then fork right (sculptures) onto the path (180° view) towards Lac Pavin . Continue straight on, ignoring the side paths, until you reach a road. Turn right down this road. In Pertuyzat, go as far as the “Lac Pavin” sign on the path behind the restaurant.

Étape 2

Opposite the starting sign, turn right onto the path running alongside the forest. At the intersection, go straight ahead, through a gate (view of the Sancy massif) and follow the signs for “Lac Pavin” through the meadow. Go through the first gate, then the second. At the road, go down and then left to Lac Pavin. With your back to the lake, turn left down the road, cross the D978, and continue on the road opposite. At the fork in the road, turn right, cross the D149 and climb towards Fontaneix until you reach the end of the straight after the sharp bend.

Étape 3

Turn left towards Super-Besse on a path bordered by two fences. Climb between pastures, then at the edge of a wood and again between pastures to a passage with 2 wooden steps. Turn right, follow the wooden stakes, climb left into a small combe to reach a small plateau adjacent to the Puy de Chambourguet scree. Climb to the left along the scree slope, pass the fence and then descend (with views of Lac Pavin, Lac Bourdouze, the Cézallier and the Monts du Cantal), following it to the left until you reach a wide path. Descend. At the T-junction, turn left and continue straight ahead on the road. At the Le Lac Bleu residence, turn right onto Chemin de l’Ecir. At no. 5, turn left down a small staircase and then a footpath. At the road, turn left. At the crossroads, go right, past the Chambourguet residence, then turn right (rue de l’Escu d’or). At the stop sign, turn left into Avenue du Sancy, then right into Rue du Pavin. Cross a road to reach the lakeshore opposite. Continue along the lake on the right, past a play area (picnic tables) and an aqualudist base, and straight on to the ESF.

Étape 4

Go straight up to the left of the shuttle bus stop, then immediately right, then left again. Continue straight on until you come to an intersection with a wide track at the TS summer toboggan run. Turn left for 50m. Climb to the right, still following the signs for Puy de Sancy. The path initially runs parallel to the gondola’s route, then passes beneath it. Immediately to the right, take a small staircase, then a path through a wood. After the wood, continue straight ahead until you reach a wide track. Follow it to the right. Pass a TS arrival hut. Pass under the zip-line cable and, immediately afterwards, take a long, steep staircase to the left, in a wood, leading to the start of the zip-line. Continue straight ahead. Leave a TS finish on the right. Follow a wide path to the left. 15m after the first large snow barrier on the right, climb up to the right. The path gradually veers left towards a pass. Pass under the TC cables, then a TS, to reach a wide path at the height of a large snow barrier on the right (view of lakes Pavin and Bourdouze, Monts du Cantal, Cézallier, Margeride and Forez). Keep right to reach the Col du Couhay. Continue uphill, right, on a wide track to the first intersection.

Étape 5

Turn left towards Puy de Sancy. Reach the Col de la Cabane after leaving the Puy Gros on your left and overlooking the Fontaine Salée cirque. Climb to the top of Puy de Sancy (orientation tables). Descend the stairs. At the pas de l’Âne (view of the Monts du Cantal and the “orgues en gerbe”), turn left towards Le Mont-Dore, Chastreix. After the stairs, turn left down a steep path to the Col de Courre.

Étape 6

Turn left, then immediately left again on a path above the Fontaine Salée cirque. At the intersection on a shoulder, turn right down towards the towers of 2 ski lifts, then follow the “La Chambasse” trail. When you reach a ski lift, continue downhill to the right and follow a wide, stony track passing under the ski lifts and leading to a road. Turn right through Chastreix-Sancy. At the end of a large right-hand bend, turn right down the track. At the crossroads, take the left-hand path towards Chastreix. At the end of the forest, go through a gate and continue for 50 m until you reach a grassy track.

Étape 7

Turn right downhill towards Chastreix and 300 m further on, turn left onto a better-marked track. Cross the pastures. Cross a fence and descend to a crossroads.

Étape 8

Go down the right-hand track. At the road, take the right-hand track. Continue through the forest until you reach a second road (D88), which you take to the left for 200 m. Turn right towards La Pinderie. Turn right towards La Pinderie (view of Roc de Courlande, Chastreix-Sancy and Chambourguet mountain in the distance, cross and drinking trough). Go through the village. Go straight ahead on a large gravel path that becomes grassy. Continue downhill to a T-junction. Turn left, then immediately right. Cross a stream and then the meadow opposite. Join a path coming from the houses. Cross the bridge over the Jarrige stream, then turn left. Follow the stream to the end of the field.

Étape 9

Take the path on the right. Enter the woods through a metal gate. Climb, ignoring the side paths. (In view of the buron, off-course: path to the right, 15 mins AR, to the Crèvecœur waterfall). At the top of the hill, take the right-hand path. Cross a stream, join the D88 road, cross it and go straight up. At the wide track, turn left, then left again. Cross the parking lot and turn right onto a wide track. Further left, go down a grassy path. Follow it through the forest to the “Les 4 Départements” crossroads. Go right, keeping as close as possible to the road, then further down to the roadside parking lot. Turn right along the parking lot until you reach the Montagne de la Roche forest road on the left.

Étape 10

Take this road and, after 100m, climb a wide track to the right. Follow it, ignoring the side paths, until you reach a clearing (hut). Go straight ahead to La Charbonniière. Drive alongside the houses (view of the Sancy, Roche Vendeix, Puy Gros, Banne d’Ordanche). At the T junction, turn left towards Charlannes. At the intersection after the top of a hill, go down a forest track. Take the first track on the right and head downhill at the next two crossroads. Join a forest track, follow it to the left and go straight on to Charlannes (information panels).

Étape 11

Turn right towards La Bourboule, leaving the Espace d’Accueil (former funicular railway) on your left, and head down a winding track. Turn left around the intermediate station of the old funicular. After 30m, turn right and continue downhill until you reach the first houses. Turn right onto the overhanging path, pass under the funicular tracks and reach a footbridge. Cross the footbridge and turn left into Parc Fenestre. Follow the main path, passing to the left of a pond and skirting the old funicular station. At the park exit, continue straight ahead, past the town hall, over the bridge over the Dordogne, past the spa and turn right onto boulevard Clémenceau. At the church, turn right, cross the bridge and climb towards Parc Fenestre until you reach Montée de la Charreyre on the left.

Étape 12

Take the Montée de la Charreyre and, at the level, turn left, pass behind the wash-house and turn right up the Chemin de Fenestre. At the end of the road, continue straight ahead (view of the Dordogne valley, Puy Gros, Banne d’Ordanche). At the entrance to Pregnoux, turn left down the road. At a bend in the road, follow the track to the right and take the first path on the left. Cross a stream and immediately turn right. After 50 m, turn left down to the road. Cross the road, cross the bridge over the Dordogne and turn right along the river. Cross the railway line and climb up to the village of Le Genestoux.

Étape 13

Turn right between the houses, then left for 10 m, before dropping right to the river. Cross the bridge (Source Félix) and continue upstream on the track that runs alongside the railroad line. After 100 m, take the left-hand path down to the river, into which a hot spring with pools empties. Climb back up and continue along the path that crosses the river to the Compissade mill. Cross the river again by a wooden footbridge. Cross a small road at Pont du Marais and continue to a tarmac road crossing the Dordogne once again. Pass in front of the gendarmerie. Continue along rue des chasseurs alpins, then avenue de la gare. At the T-junction, turn right for 100 m and go down the stairs on your right. Cross the square and turn right towards the station. Pass the station and continue straight on to the crossroads.

Étape 14

Take the tarmac driveway to the left. At the fork, turn left towards the town center. At the traffic circle, turn right (rue Sidoine Apollinaire) and fork left in front of the hospital, then right (rue Meynadier). Drive past the casino and immediately turn right. Drive up to the crossroads, then turn left to reach the Tourist Office below on the left.

Étape 15

From the “Boucle du Sancy” sign, cross the park alongside the tourist office, then cross the Dordogne. Go straight ahead on Rue Perpère. Climb the stairs (towards les cascades/chemin de la Bane) to chemin de Melchi Rose. Turn right. Cross a road and climb the winding path to the Grande Cascade. Continue over the footbridge to reach a grassy platform (view of Mont-Dore and the Dordogne valley).

Étape 16

Cross it straight on and continue on the sloping path (against the direction of the green PR), following it on a balcony above the Mont-Dore valley. Pass a stepladder and halfway up the Roc de Cuzeau, take the path on the left to reach the summit (view over the glacial valley of Mont-Dore). Continue to puy des Crebasses.

Étape 17

Turn left (view of the Chaudefour valley) and follow the ridge path. Continue downhill (two stepladders to climb), cross a grassy area and continue on a path. At the entrance to a wood, descend to the left, cross a stepladder and follow the forest track to an inn at Chambon des Neiges.

Étape 18

Continue along the parking lot. Take the first left at the vacation village, then the first right. At the crossroads, take the left-hand path up to the D36. Turn left and follow the D636 for 1 km to a crossroads. Go right, along the edge of the wood, to the entrance to the hamlet of Les Angles. Cross the road, then the hamlet, and head downhill towards Château de Serrette. Continue to the village of Chambon sur Lac. Turn right, cross the bridge and turn left into rue des Forges. After Place de la Fontaine, take Rue Chez Chartoire opposite. Continue to the right of the church (Romanesque church and cross) to reach the D996. Turn right for 30 m. Then turn right (campsite), go straight on, cross a bridge and continue to the Murol beach at the south-east end of Lac Chambon.

Étape 19

Go straight ahead on the track after the inn. At the crossroads, go straight ahead, then turn right onto Chemin des Sables. Go up to the first track on the left, then down to the road. Turn right towards Jassat and, at the bend in the road, take the track on the left, facing the campsite entrance. After the bridge, turn right. In the hamlet, at the crossroads (watering place), take the small road to the right, then turn left before the bridge. Follow this wide track upwards. Cross a bridge and continue uphill to the left. Take the steep right-hand path which climbs towards Courbanges. Stay on the path and climb a track (with views of the Chaudefour valley cirque and the Puy de Sancy) to the junction with the D36 in Courbanges.

Étape 20

Cross the D36 and go straight up the road to a fork (view). Go downhill to the left, past the stream, up into the Courbanges forest. Turn left at the first crossroads, then right at the next fork. Cross the main driveway and go straight ahead. At the end of the forest, turn right between two fences and go down to the stream. Go straight up and cross the plateau (Monts du Forez, Cézallier and Sancy). Join a wide track which you take to the right to reach a T-junction with a road at the entrance to the village of Leylavaux. Go downhill to the left, passing through two hamlets (Le Clozel then La Bouay). After a bend, leave the road and go right down a path (with a view of Besse) to the hamlet of La Villetour. Go down to the watering hole (bread oven, thatched cottage), keeping to the left. At the top of Rue du Lavoir, cross the D36, go left then right and climb up. At the STOP sign, turn right, climb up and take the first street on the left. At Place Dr A. Pipet, turn right and follow Rue des Mercières. At Place de la Gayme, turn left and, at the Médiathèque, take the porch (Office de Tourisme) to the square.