The Vaches Rouges tour (Auvergne)

Duration : 5 days

France, Massif Central

Level : intermediate

from 1032 € / p. from 4 to 8 persons

Description

I invite you to join me on a five-day trek offering a full immersion in the Cézallier region, in the heart of the Massif Central.

The tour des Vaches Rouges itinerary takes place in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park, in the Cézallier region, which offers a unique view of the region: vast, wild, solitary, and intensely authentic. This 84-kilometer hiking loop is the most striking expression of this. Covered in 5 days, this walking adventure takes hikers through high-altitude landscapes, between 1,000 and 1,500 meters, dotted with abandoned burons (stone huts), remote villages, preserved peat bogs, and pastures stretching as far as the eye can see.

Its evocative name comes from the famous Salers cows, with their mahogany-red coats and lyre-shaped horns, which populate these high-altitude summer pastures. They quickly become the hiker's silent companions, a living symbol of a landscape shaped by livestock farming and an ancestral way of life. The trail markers, shaped like red cow heads, faithfully accompany walkers along the entire route.

The Cézallier is neither mountain nor plain, but a high plateau swept by winds and with an almost steppe-like atmosphere. It is here that one feels, perhaps more than anywhere else in Auvergne, the silent immensity of the great outdoors. The view stretches far into the distance, as far as the Cantal mountains, the Sancy or even the Chaîne des Puys, depending on the clarity of the sky. The trail crosses a succession of ridges, secret valleys, glacial lakes (such as Saint-Alyre and La Godivelle), mysterious peat bogs and volcanic chaos, without ever losing its intensity.

This contemplative, almost meditative atmosphere is one of the great attractions of the Tour des Vaches Rouges. Uncrowded and often timeless, it invites you to disconnect completely and reconnect deeply with nature. Much more than a hiking trail, it is also a complete experience, combining physical effort, contemplation, and cultural discovery. For those in search of inhabited solitude, authenticity, and altitude, it is an unmissable destination in the heart of the secret Auvergne.

You can also follow me for other beautiful treks:

Program

Day 1: Arrival in Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues.
Welcome around 5pm.
Presentation of the trip and checking of your bags.

Day 2: Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues - Brion.
This fairly short day starting from Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues is the first stage of the tour of the Cézallier massif.
After exploring the village and its waterfall, we head towards the hamlet of Espinchal and its pretty houses. Along the way, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Sancy massif and the Cantal mountains, which will accompany you almost throughout the entire hike.
After the Cirque de Joran, you enter the Sagnes de La Godivelle Nature Reserve with its famous En-Haut and En-Bas lakes. You cross plateaus and peat bogs before arriving in Brion.
Elevation gain: 550 meters, elevation loss: 250 meters, distance: 16.5 km, 6 hours of walking.

Day 3: Brion - Pradiers.
We follow the GRP stage of the tour du Cézallier to reach Pradiers via Boutaresse: an opportunity to cross the heart of the Cézallier and its plateau. Among other things, you will pass a few kilometers from the summit: the Signal du Luguet at an altitude of 1,547 meters and, above all, you will walk along the Mont Chamaroux. This connecting route takes you across the high plateaus and summer pastures.
Elevation gain: 350 meters, elevation loss: 400 meters, distance: 21.7 km, 7 hours of walking.

Day 4: Pradiers - Marcenat.
Today you will once again cross the summer pasture plateaus. Here, you can enjoy a 360° view of the Sancy, the Cantal mountains, etc., with a landscape characterized by small mountains and hills. The Roche de Landeyrat (or Apcher) Sensitive Natural Area is a beautiful geological stop on the route with impressive basalt formations. You will then arrive at the village of Marcenat.
Elevation gain: 250 meters, elevation loss: 400 meters, distance: 17.7 km, 5.5 hours of walking.

Day 5: Marcenat - Montgreleix.
This is the penultimate stage of this tour of the Cézallier: a much shorter stage than the previous one. Here too, we can consider combining it with stage 8 to shorten the trip by one day (26 km, 9 hours of walking). This curious stage will take you past the Orthodox monastery of La Traverse before you discover the Sailhant waterfall. You then cross the Naufonts plateau, where the landscapes are splendid. You have a very pretty view, in particular, of Mont Chamaroux (the other peak of the Cézallier with the Signal du Luguet). Finally, Montgreleix comes into view, where we will spend the night at an altitude of over 1,200 meters.
Elevation gain: 450 meters, elevation loss: 300 meters, distance: 14.7 km, 5.5 hours of walking.

Day 6: Montgreleix - Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues.
The last and final stage of this tour of the Vaches Rouges. It is marked by panoramic views of the Sancy massif. You cross the border between Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme again before reaching Égliseneuve and completing your loop on the GRP du tour du Cézallier.
Elevation gain: 200 meters, elevation loss: 500 meters, distance: 12.4 km, 4.5 hours of walking.

Day 7: End of the trekking.
Departure after breakfast.

Note: In case of bad weather or the need for changes, I reserve the right to adapt the itineraries and content of the trip.

The price includes

Supervision by the mountain leader.
6 nights half board (lodges, nights in dormitories with around ten beds).
Meals from the evening of day 1 to the morning of day 7 (dinners, breakfasts, picnics).
Logistical organization of the trip.
Luggage transport.

The price does not include

Return transport to the meeting point in Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues, an hour drive south of Clermont-Ferrand.
Personal expenses (drinks or other purchases).
Cancellation insurance (optional).
Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

In lodges (dormitories).

Next departures :

May 10, 2026 To be confirmed