From the Cirque de Chamalière to the Vergnes waterfall
Sylvain Pasdeloup is an assertive sportsman, always ready to give good advice. A passionate columnist, he is also generous since he shares his itinerary advice.
Head to the pretty mountain village of Albepierre, in the heart of the largest volcano in Europe, the splendid Volcan Cantalien!
The route that I propose to you crosses the Cirque de Chamalière and meanders from waterfall to waterfall. Something to cool off if the sun is out. We are on a rather very accessible course of 10km for 340m of elevation gain, which is quite measured even if yes, the thighs and calves are put to use. It is also a rather non-technical course but which does not lose its superb.
We will therefore start from a site called the American Camp in Albepierre, through the Creux de Forêt, a valley that goes up to the Cirque de Chamalière and the first views are breathtaking!
The views of the Cirque itself but also of the Plomb du Cantal and its 1855m. This Cirque is a real open-air amphitheater, face to face with the beautiful Puy du Rocher! And with a bit of success you can even see marmots, chamois or mouflons!
– Roger Delcros
The descent by the waterfalls
For the rest, we will descend towards the very beautiful Cascade des Vergnes and, after a stone bridge, on the cascade des prés longs. Plan a very small hook to see this one. For the return, we go there quietly towards Albepierre after about 10km of paths sometimes forest, sometimes mountain.
A word of advice: a stone’s throw away, in Prat de Bouc, you have the Maison du Col, a starting point for nature activities equipped with tools to better understand the Cantal Massif, drop by, it’s worth the detour.
– Roger Delcros