Levels

Each day you can choose one of three differents routes which vary in distance and altitude gain (1, 2 and 3 wheels).

Programme

Itinerary start: France Bike Trips services begin on day 1 at 9:30am at your accommodation, 12 km from Murat (precise details will be sent to you approximately 3 weeks before departure).

For those arriving by train: a transfer service is available between Murat SNCF railway station and your accommodation. If you require this service, please specify when completing the booking form.

On request we can book the previous night's accommodation for you.

Welcome and check-in, before leaving for your first days ride.

The itinerary

The following description is a general presentation of the itinerary. Once your booking has been made, you will receive a precise road book of the route 3 weeks before your due departure date.

The Cantal is shaped like a star, with an exploded volcano crater at its centre, and a succession of plateaus and valleys in the surrounding countryside. Each day offers a different landscape, with the impression at times of having ridden into another country! The variety of terrain also offers a great mix between easier and harder stages.

Centre-based tour: We provide you with the description of 7 loops beginning and ending at your accommodation, allowing you to discover a different part of the area each day. Your host, cyclist and connoisseur of the area, is on hand to help choose the loops that suit you.

The description of each loop consists of a map with the itinerary underlined, as well as a “road book”, with directions to be followed at each intersection.

Overview of the various loops:

• Loop 1: Time to discover the many different landscapes of the Cantal, its mountains, valleys and plateaus. The first “col”, a small glaciated valley, a Romanesque church, an old ruined castle, and a vast plateau. We also see our first (but not last) cows before tackling the area's only "hors catégorie" col, the Pas de Peyrol.
• Loop 2: From our accommodation we descend the valley, following the flow of the river. We ride out of the volcano crater, before arriving in the Artense. With its numerous lakes, and ancient forests of gnarly wind-swept trees you could be mistaken for thinking you were in Finland. A land of myths and legends where nature takes pride of place and human activity is rare.
• Loop 3: We finally attack the volcano that has been looming over us since we arrived… This is the most alpine stage of the tour. From one col to the next, we cross the ancient crater that has worn and weathered over time, as well as villages full of medieval mountain architecture, and some rather unusual mountain landscapes.
• Loop 4: We leave the heart of the volcano once again for an excursion into Mongolia: the plateau du Cézallier. The plateau is completely treeless and has almost no dwellings. Today's route offers vast, wide open spaces and… lots of cows! We discover an abandoned railway station, who’s passengers weren't humans, but cows… Until as little as 15 years ago, cattle arrived here by train in order to spend the summer months in the mountain pastures!
• Loop 5: We take a breath of southern air today on a route to the south of the volcano. Some more cols, small, quiet mountain roads, and views that stretch almost to the Mediterranean. Another valley full of character and wonderful scenery, and some stunning medieval architecture.
• Loop 6: Another large plateau, and probably the most populated in the area. The production of lentils made the area wealthy during the 19th century and may well make it so again. Passage through the medieval town of Saint Flour, built on the edge of a basalt cliff, as well as the 13th century Château d'Alleuse, seized by the English during the Hundred Years War.
• Loop 7: To finish the tour we cross the Pinhatèle, ancient forest of scots pine, which covered the entire area during the Middle Ages. Wedged between the two large volcanic masses of the Auvergne, the area offers beautiful views of the Cantal as well as the younger mountains of the Sancy. A series of pretty, quiet mountain roads lead us to the end of our Cantalou tour…

• Level 1: 50 to 80 km per day
• Level 2: 80 to 110 km per day
• Level 3: 100 to 150 km per day

Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.

Itinerary end: France Bike Trips services end late afternoon on the last day. On request we can book the following night's accommodation for you.