GR 400 explained

GR 400
Location:France (Massif Central)
Designation:GR footpath
Length:133Km as a single tour; total of circuits 176Km
Trailheads:Murat, Super-Lioran, Mandailles-Saint-Julien, Le Falgoux, Le Claux
Use:Hiking
Highest:1855m (Plomb du Cantal)
Lowest:892m (Murat railway station)
Difficulty:moderate
Season:Summer and autumn
Months:May/June to November
Sights:Plomb du Cantal, Puy Mary, Puy Griou
Hazards:One rocky section (la Brêche de Roland) requires use of hands and feet

The GR 400 is a long-distance walking route within the Grande Randonnée network in France. It is not a linear route, but a series of five circuits, all within the Monts de Cantal area of the Massif Central. The circuits interconnect with, and sometimes follow the same route as, the GR 4, one of the spine paths of the network, and also with a subsidiary section of the Via Podiensis St James's Way route. The walking is described as "within the range of any good hiker accustomed to walking in mountain country and to carrying a rucksack"[1]

The five circuits are:

Parts of these loops, together with sections of the GR4, can be combined to create a complete tour of the Monts du Cantal volcanic region, totalling 133 km [2] and suggested as an 8-day walk. The routes include some of the highest and most dramatic points within the Cantal volcano area, including the Plomb du Cantal (1855 m, the highest point on the path and the second highest in the Massif Central), Puy Mary and Puy Griou

Notes and References

  1. "Volcan du Cantal", TopoGuide of the Fedération Française de la Randonée Pédestrien,
  2. https://www.gr-infos.com/gr400.htm GR400 Tour of Cantal Volcanoes