This month, get 20% off selected guidebooks to the Alps. Browse participating guidebooks on our Special Offers page.

Walking in the Auvergne

42 Walks in the Massif Central - France's volcano region

Guidebook to the Auvergne describing 42 walks between 5 and 20km in the quiet volcanic hills of central France. Five areas are covered: Cantal, Chaine des Puys, Mont Dores, Haute-Loire and Montagne Bourbonnaise. The volcanic geography provides a stunning backdrop to routes suitable for all walkers. Bases in Vichy, Clermont-Ferrand and Puy-en-Velay.

Seasons

All the routes can be enjoyed from May to October. The summer months are usually hot and sunny, but the winters see snowbound villages and skiing on the higher Auvergne peaks

Centres

cities: Puy-en-Velay and Vichy; villages: Orcival for the Monts Dore and Dômes, Murat for the Cantal, Mayet-de-Montagne for the Bourbonnaise

Difficulty

Grade 1: Short easy walks with few navigational problems and little ascent; Grade 2: Walks that will not be taxing for a fit and experienced hiker. They may be longer, have moderate height gain or require good navigation skills; Grade 3: Challenging walks for experienced hikers. Steep terrain may be encountered with considerable ascents or longer mountain days

Must See

Fascinating volcanoes: Puy de Dôme, de la Vache and Pariou; high summits: Plomb du Cantal, Puy Mary and Puy de Sancy; magnificent abbeys and churches: Chaise Dieu, Lavaudieu and Orcival; chateaux: Montgilbert and Lavoûte-sur-Loire; attractive bases: Le Puy-en-Velay and Vichy; lakes Guery and Pavin, the Grand Cascade and Volvic spring
ISBN
9781852846510
Availability
Published
Published
13 May 2013
Reprinted
21 Jan 2020
Edition
First
Pages
256
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm
Weight
280g
Overview

A guidebook to 42 day walks in the Auvergne. Exploring the volcanic hills of central France, the walks are suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike.

Walks range from 2 to 16km (1–10 miles) and can be enjoyed in 1–6 hours. The routes are clustered into five different areas, making ideal bases: Cantal, the Chaîne des Puys (Monts Dômes), the Monts Dore, the Haute Loire (Livradois and Velay) and the Montagne Bourbonnaise.

  • Sketch maps are included for each walk
  • Detailed information on accommodation, public transport and the region’s volcanic history
  • Local points of interest are featured including the Livradois-Forez and Auvergne Volcanoes regional nature parks

Table of Contents
Maps
Updates
Reviews
Downloads

By Rachel Crolla

Rachel Crolla is an outdoors all-rounder who loves hiking, biking, scrambling and climbing. Rachel is an outdoors writer and photographer who is also trained as a journalist and teacher. She has hiked and climbed across the UK, Europe and the USA. In 2007 Rachel became the first woman to reach the summit of every country in Europe, and co-wrote the Cicerone guide book Europe’s High Points soon afterwards. She is passionate about enthusing the next generation of hikers and cyclists with a love of the outdoors.

View author profile

By Carl McKeating

Carl McKeating is from Yorkshire. He is the co-author with Rachel Crolla of the books, Europe’s High Points and Walking in the Auvergne published by Cicerone. A rock climbing and mountaineering enthusiast, in addition to ascending all of Europe’s national high points, in 2010 he completed a long-standing ambition to climb all the routes in Ken Wilson’s Classic Rock which he followed with a three-month climbing and mountaineering tour of America. A qualified English teacher, in 2014 Carl started work on a doctorate about Mont Blanc in British Culture.

View author profile