Plomb du Cantal
1,855 m
France
Also known as Pom del ChantalAlso known as
Pom del Chantal
- Elevation
- 1,855 m
- Prominence
- 774 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The classic walk from the east: from the Prat de Bouc pass (1,396 m) a waymarked path climbs west over open pasture to the Col de la Tombe du Père (1,586 m) and up the broad east ridge to the basalt summit. About 460 m of ascent and 2 hours up; return via the Pas des Alpins and the Rochers de Chamalière makes a loop.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +484 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,855 m
- Time Up
- 2h 06m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 29m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the Col de Prat de Bouc (1,396 m), a small cross-country and alpine ski area on the D39 between Murat and Paulhac. Follow the yellow-waymarked PR path west across the high pastures, grazed by Salers cattle in summer, to the Col de la Tombe du Père (1,586 m). Continue west up the broad, grassy east ridge to the summit plug, locally called 'le poing' (the fist), at 1,855 m, about 2 hours from the car. The summit has a panorama over the Cantal volcano's radiating valleys to the Sancy and the Margeride; on very clear days the view reaches the Pilat and Mont Aigoual. Expect company in summer, as the Le Lioran cable car arrives just below the top. For a loop, descend north along the crest to the Pas des Alpins (1,750 m), then east past the Rochers de Chamalière (1,641 m) and back down to Prat de Bouc. The terrain is easy but entirely exposed to the weather: fog is common and the open ridge is dangerous in thunderstorms and strong wind.
Start
Col de Prat de Bouc1,390 m
- No public transport to the Col de Prat de Bouc; trains run to Murat and Le Lioran on the Clermont-Ferrand–Aurillac line.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Col de Prat de Bouc → Plomb du Cantal | 3.6 | 484 | 19 | 2h 06m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Col de Prat de Bouc1,390 m
- Col: Col de la Tombe du Père1,584 m
- Summit: Plomb du Cantal1,855 m
Key Passages
- Col de la Tombe du Père
- Broad grassy east ridge
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest point of the Cantal mountains (1,855 m) and the second summit of the Massif Central, a basalt plug at the top of what is described as Europe's largest stratovolcano. An easy walk from Prat de Bouc, or a cable-car ride from Le Lioran, with a view across most of the Massif Central.
The Plomb du Cantal rises in the centre of the Cantal department, on the boundary of Saint-Jacques-des-Blats and Albepierre-Bredons. It is the high point of the monts du Cantal, the eroded remains of a stratovolcano about 60 km across that stood more than 3,000 m high some 4 million years ago. The summit is a plug of basanite, a basalt-like rock about 2.9 million years old, sitting on dozens of trachyandesite lava flows and breccias; glaciers later carved the radiating valleys of the Cère, Alagnon and Brezons, whose basins (Dordogne, Loire and Garonne) meet near the top.
The mountain is gentle in form: broad grassy ridges grazed by Salers cattle in summer, old stone-roofed burons, and rare flora including a hybrid avens found only on this summit. The Le Lioran ski area covers the north slope and its cable car reaches just below the top, while Prat de Bouc on the east side is a quieter base for walkers. The slopes are a Natura 2000 site and an important migration stopover for raptors.
The ascent is short and easy, but the summit is fully exposed to Atlantic weather: fog, strong wind and summer thunderstorms are frequent, and conditions in winter are properly alpine.
Climbing Notes
From Prat de Bouc the walk takes about 2 hours up on good paths with about 460 m of ascent; anyone used to hill walking can do it, and it makes a good family outing in settled weather. With the cable car, the summit is a 10-minute walk from the top station.
Carry a windproof and warm layer even in summer; in fog, navigation on the broad pastures is tricky, and the ridge is no place to be in a thunderstorm. In winter the area is ski terrain: the summit is reached by ski tourers and snowshoers from Prat de Bouc or by the cable car, but check avalanche conditions before leaving the pistes.
Stay on paths, close gates and keep dogs on a lead near the herds.
History
The name appears as 'Pom' in an administrative record of 1268, from the Old Occitan and Old French word for a sword's pommel, describing the rounded top; locals call it 'le poing' (the fist). In Auvergnat Occitan it is the Pom del Chantal or Torta del Chantal. The Col de Prat de Bouc has been climbed in several Tour de France stages, and in Patrick Süskind's novel 'Perfume' the hero spends seven years in a cave on the Plomb du Cantal.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Not advisable
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter; snowshoeing and ski touring; cable car runs in the ski season
- Feb
- Winter; cable car runs in the ski season
- Mar
- Late winter; cable car runs until about 21 March in 2027
- Apr
- Snowmelt; cable car closed
- May
- Spring flowers; cable car open some May weekends
- Jun
- Cable car daily from mid-June
- Jul
- Busy; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Busy; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Cable car until mid-September; clear autumn days
- Oct
- Good walking; cable car closed
- Nov
- Early snow and fog
- Dec
- Winter; cable car reopens around 19 December
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Plomb du Cantal cable car, summer 2026: adult return EUR 16.90, one way EUR 12.40; junior return EUR 14.70; child return EUR 11.90
- Getting There
Murat; Le Lioran (Super Lioran) for the cable car
Aurillac (AUR); Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (CFE)
- Car to the Col de Prat de Bouc (1,396 m) on the D39 between Murat/Albepierre and Paulhac
- Car or train to Le Lioran on the Clermont-Ferrand–Aurillac line; the cable car leaves from the Prairie des Sagnes in Super Lioran
- Cable car operates in winter (from 19 December 2026) and summer (13 June–13 September in 2026, plus May weekends), weather permitting
Hazards
- Weather