Photo : Nouill / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Plomb du Cantal
The Plomb du Cantal peaks at 1,855 metres, making it the second summit of the Massif Central after the Puy de Sancy. It is part of the largest stratovolcano in Europe. The summit itself formed about 2.9 million years ago from a plug of basanite, a solidified lava that comes from an ancient basaltic lava lake.
You go up by cable car from Super Lioran, then a short walk, or on foot from the resort or from Prat de Bouc. In clear weather, the panorama extends over more than 100 kilometres, to the Chaîne des Puys, Mont Lozère and the Aubrac plateau. The slopes host herds of Salers cattle, with lyre-shaped horns, as well as burons, former shepherds' shelters. The mountain is a ground for alpine and cross-country skiing in winter, and hiking and mountain biking in summer. It is also cited in the novel Perfume by Patrick Süskind.
