Auvergne Volcanoes: Chain of Puys Hike

Four days on foot from one puy to the next, reading the Chaine des Puys from its craters rather than from the road. The route links the Puy de Dome, a viscous lava dome at 1,465 metres, the Puy de Pariou and its perfect ninety-metre-deep crater reached by a wooden staircase, then the Puy de la Vache, a breached volcano whose lava flow dammed a valley to create Lac d'Aydat, the Puy de Come and its nested double crater, and finally Lac Pavin. This is open-air volcanology, each edifice illustrating a different eruption type. The Pariou closes during military firing periods, so check the calendar. Loose scoria rolls underfoot, so ankle-high boots are advisable.