Tackling the peaks of France’s lesser-trekked Auvergne region

Our slow travel series explores how you can take more mindful journeys by train, boat, bus, bike or hike – with tips on how to reach your destination, and what to see and do along the way. In the latest installment, Anna Richards shows you a French summer hiking alternative to the Alps.

Embarking on the quest of scaling the volcanic peaks known as puys in the Auvergne region, I challenged myself to conquer as many of them as I could. This pursuit, often referred to as puy-bagging, shares similarities with the beloved Scottish tradition of munro-bagging, where hikers strive to conquer numerous peaks. With a total of 80 puys scattered across the Auvergne region, how many of these summits could I conquer in a single endeavor while savoring the experience at a gentle pace?

Challenge accepted

Ready, set, go

Every year, some 20,000 hikers lace up their boots to tackle the 166km (103-mile) Tour du Mont Blanc; Chamonix alone can have up to 100,000 visitors a day in peak season. And while I understand the allure of alpine peaks, regularly hiking them myself, sometimes the traffic on the trails makes me wonder if a walk around the city center in my hometown, Lyon, would be more peaceful. Finding quiet hiking trails there is still possible – yet for virgin landscapes that are truly off the beaten track, the Auvergne may be the best hiking region in France you’ve overlooked. 

The Departure

Start at Puy de Dôme

Crowned by a curious antenna, Puy de Dôme in Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne is, at a mere 11,000 years old, one of the youngest puys in the 45km (28-mile) region. It’s one of the 80 extinct volcanic cones that form the La Chaîne des Puys. At 1465m (4806ft) high, Puy de Dôme is admittedly no Mont Blanc – though it is taller than Ben Nevis. And similarly to hiking in Scotland, such altitudes allow you to “bag” multiple puys in a day.

Since you need to travel from peak to peak by car, and since I’m ever mindful of my carbon footprint, I limited my sights the closest ones with the shortest drives. A three-hour hike from the Panoramique des Dômes parking area takes you to the research station at the summit of Puy de Dôme and panoramic views over the city of Clermont-Ferrand. (If you’re not up for the hike, a cog railway can take care…