La Cime de la Côte via Beaune le Chaud

Starting from the village of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, a walk through the village of Beaune le Chaud and the hamlet of Chatrat, rich in traditional housing and small heritage sites linked to water, passing on either side of the Cime de la Côte, a ridge offering beautiful views of the Puy de Dôme to the north and other puys and the Sancy massif to the south.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.36 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 591 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 607 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,310 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,854 ft

Description of the walk

In the village of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, park in one of the car parks near the sports facilities, for example the recycling container car park.

Yellow disc markings

(S/E) With your back to the village, set off along the road (D52) and the sports facilities, heading due west, until you reach the fire station. Then turn right onto a median strip to join a path and follow it. You will come to a road (D5) with directional signs.

(1) Cross it carefully and continue along the path opposite, towards Beaune le Chaud. You will come to a T-junction with a wide path.

(2) Turn left and immediately pass a small Christianised menhir on your left, set back slightly. At the end of the path, you will arrive at Beaune le Chaud.

(3) (Follow the signs carefully to cross this village.) Continue straight ahead at the first intersection, then straight ahead again on Rue de la Côte, leaving the church on your right. Pass a drinking fountain and turn left with the street. Shortly afterwards, you will see a covered wash house on your left. You will arrive at a busier road at a circular fountain. A 20-metre detour to the right will take you to a picnic area on the site of a wash house.

(4) Turn around. Back at the circular fountain, continue along the road, keeping to the right-hand side. Turn onto the first street on the right and you will arrive at the Beaune le Chaud signpost (another picnic area). Follow the signs for Croix Parla, pass a fountain and continue along the street until you reach a farm building.

(5) Turn left onto the path that runs alongside a sculptor's house and continue to an intersection with directional signs.

(6) Follow the path on the right towards Laschamps.

No signposts

At the crossroads of four paths, turn left, leaving the Yellow Disc markings, and continue to a T-junction.

Yellow disc markings

(7) Turn right, following the Yellow Disc markings again. Further on, at the intersection at the entrance to a meadow, continue straight ahead on the path, ignoring the path on the right. Further on, ignore a path on the left and then, immediately after, a path on the left leading to a marker visible about 20 metres away, and join the road on the right (D52).

(8) Cross it carefully and continue on the path opposite. Just after passing the car park, note the yellow disc markings. Continue straight ahead, on the north side of the fir forest covering the Cime de la Côte, with a view of the Puy de Dôme. Further on, just after a clearing in the fir forest, find a path on the right.

YellowPR®® markings

(9) Leave the yellow disc markings and turn onto this path to pass along the south side of the pine forest and the ridge, and enjoy the view of the Sancy massif. Shortly afterwards, in the left-hand bend, look out for the small yellowPR®® sign that the route now follows. You will reach a T-junction. Turn left in the direction indicated for Route du Puy de Mercœur. Immediately ignore a path on the right and you will arrive at a T-junction at the Neupont signpost.

(10) Turn right towards Chatrat.

Yellow disc signposting

Further on, ignore a path on the right and follow the yellow disc markings. Arrive at Chatrat.

(11) (Follow the markings carefully to cross this hamlet.) Continue straight ahead, then turn left downhill and pass in front of a fountain. Immediately turn left and pass a wash house. About 50 metres further on, at another wash house and oven, turn right and continue to a crossroads at a cross.

(12) Follow the street to the left and reach the crossroads with the D5.

(13) Cross it carefully to reach the Chatrat signpost. Continue straight ahead towards Saint-Genès-Champanelle via Rue de la Croix de Saint-François (stone cross at this crossroads). Continue straight ahead, pass the Saint-Genès-Champanelle cemetery (picnic table), continue along the small access road and join the D90.

(14) Immediately take the pedestrian path on the right and walk up to the town hall. Find the Saint-Genès town hall marker, turn right and go around the town hall on the right (modern sculpture and old cross) to arrive in front of the recycling container car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,917 ft - Recycling container car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.61 - alt. 2,986 ft - Intersection of path and road
  3. 2 : mi 0.97 - alt. 3,156 ft - Trail x path intersection
  4. 3 : mi 1.41 - alt. 3,025 ft - Beaune le Chaud
  5. 4 : mi 1.6 - alt. 2,969 ft - Picnic area on the site of a wash house
  6. 5 : mi 1.86 - alt. 2,995 ft - Intersection of paths
  7. 6 : mi 2.33 - alt. 3,054 ft - Intersection of paths
  8. 7 : mi 2.76 - alt. 3,169 ft - Intersection of paths
  9. 8 : mi 3.33 - alt. 3,212 ft - Intersection of path and road
  10. 9 : mi 4.04 - alt. 3,291 ft - Intersection of paths
  11. 10 : mi 4.68 - alt. 3,248 ft - Crossroads, Neupont
  12. 11 : mi 5.24 - alt. 3,087 ft - Chatrat
  13. 12 : mi 5.43 - alt. 3,048 ft - Street intersection, cross
  14. 13 : mi 5.66 - alt. 2,992 ft - Road intersection, cross
  15. 14 : mi 6.17 - alt. 2,858 ft - D52 intersection
  16. S/E : mi 6.36 - alt. 2,910 ft - Recycling container car park

Notes

Hike of moderate difficulty, leaning towards easy, standard hiking equipment required.

Worth a visit

Photo album here

Village and hamlet with traditional architecture, viewpoints

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Petit poulot
Petit poulot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful views of the Puy de Dôme.
Difficulty: easy/medium. Can easily be cut in half to make a 1 hour 45 minute hike starting from Beaune le Chaud.

Machine-translated

mick15
mick15

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

made a very busy Sunday route with lots of dogs

Machine-translated

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