36 - Panoramas, sucs and forests
Start: Stade du pont à Tence
From the bridge over the Lignon at Tence, you will cross the village with its fine granite façades, and set off towards Le Mas-de-Tence like the cyclists of the Ardéchoise, one route of which passes every year through the various villages of the Haut-Lignon. Once at Le Mas-de-Tence, you can make use of the viewpoint indicator and take in the panorama over the Sucs (volcanic peaks) that opens out before you, from the Lizieux to the sucs, ancient volcanoes. In the shade of the forests, you will enjoy quiet roads as far as Montregard, from where you can admire the panorama from the calvary (wayside cross). You will make the most of your descent to Tence to cross several streams and follow the Lignon.
- Distance
- 21.6 km
- Elevation gain
- +453 m
- Elevation loss
- -456 m
- Duration
- 1 h 30 min
Route on the map
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA): route licensed under ETALAB-2.0 via Données : Comité Départemental Randonnée Pédestre Haute-Loire · FFRandonnée · sportsnature.hauteloire.fr — sous licence ETALAB 2.0.
The feel of the route
What is a suc?
A suc is an old volcano that gave rise to a cone- or dome-shaped mountain because of volcanic eruptions. The rock you will find at the top of the sucs is called phonolite. The sucs form a collection of dormant volcanoes that is unique in Europe. You will see them from afar, because they punctuate the landscape with their shapes like sleeping beauties… Their origin goes back to the end of the Tertiary era; these craterless volcanoes appeared about 12 million years ago, and are linked to the formation of the Alps, which caused an uplift of the granite basement. The magma rose through faults, in an effusive form. This wealth provided people with all the material needed for the traditional built heritage of houses, as well as for religious and civil buildings. You will be able to see the characteristic roofs of the old houses, made of phonolite lauzes (stone roofing slabs).
In pictures
Other hikes in the area
Cycling
Mountain biking
Mountain biking