Continuing on with our trip to Le Mont Dore France in late 2022 brings us to our next stop for the day, La Grande Cascade (or "The big Waterfall" in English).
My wife and I did this hike after climbing the Puy de Sancy, a hibernating volcano that is a ski hill in the winter and hiking spot on the summer. These two hikes were very close together and we did them both the same day with time to spare.
The hike started in the small town of Le Monte Dore and we headed out to the starting point right after checking into our hotel. There were a few signs scattered around town to point us in the right direction but we also used Google maps to help us find the trail.
It was located discretely between two buildings making it slightly difficult to find, but everything was straight forward and smooth sailing from there. It was just a matter of following the singular path to the final destination.
The path to get to the falls mostly lead through a forested area but at one point it crossed a road and traveled along side it for a spell.
The dirt trail was wide and well worn so I wouldn't say that you need any sort of special equipment for the hike, other than a pair of comfortable shoes.
The path was mostly uphill but a series of switchbacks made for a relatively easy climb. There were one or two areas that were a little steep which got our hearts pumping and legs burning, but overall I would say that it was easy and accessible, requiring perhaps a beginners level of fitness.
At some point along the way we got a really good view of the town of Mont Dore. It's nestled in the valley of the surrounding foothills.
In total it took us about an hour to an hour and a half max, to do the entire hike round trip. The walk there took longer of course being that it was uphill but overall it was a fairly quick.
The dog was tired from the previous walk up the Puy du Sancy so my wife carried him in the backpack this go around. It's quite the life that he leads, being carried around everywhere.
We came up with a new way of giving him water on this trip. We used an empty syringe (without a needle, obviously) which allowed us to shoot the water into his mouth. It worked wonders. He stayed hydrated without us having to take him out of the backpack. It was ingenious and I wish we had started doing that before hand.
I didn't know what to expect from the waterfall itself but when we arrived I was immediately impressed.
It's actually the highest waterfall in the Auvergne region of France, measuring approximately 30 meters tall.
It was set within a very picturesque location surrounded by cliffs on two sides with a rocky garden and plush green plant life Below.
I took a few photos of my wife in the space (obviously).
There was a small wooden bridge over the stream that acted as good viewing spot.
We also walked around the space a little and found other more interesting views.
There weren't many people there that day, so that was an added bonus as well. We didn't have to compete for views and photogenic locations to take pictures. We were able to go about our business at our own pace.
There isn't much more I can say about the location or the falls other than it is definitely worth checking it out in that area. In terms of bang for your buck it's a fast and easy hike and a really beautiful waterfall, what more could you ask for really?