The Col de Prat-de-Bouc is a
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
at an altitude of 1,392 meters located in the
Mounts of Cantal, in the
department of the same name, within the
Massif Central. It is situated east of the
Plomb du Cantal
The Plomb du Cantal () is the highest summit of Mounts of Cantal in the Massif Central, France. It is the second highest summit of the Massif Central, after the mountain of Puy de Sancy.
Geography and geology
The summit is located in the easter ...
. At the foot of the pass lies the
Lioran resort and the Prat de Bouc - Haute Planèze Nordic area.
Geography
The pass can be crossed by two slopes:
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''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
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* from the south, coming from Paulhac (via the hamlet of Bélinay) or from Cézens
Cézens is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Cantal department
The following is a list of the 246 Communes of France, communes of the Cantal Departments of France, department o ...
(via the hamlet of la Sagnette) or from Brezons passing through the Col de la Griffoul;
* from the north, coming from Murat Murat may refer to:
Places Australia
* Murat Bay, a bay in South Australia
* Murat Marine Park, a marine protected area
France
* Murat, Allier, a commune in the department of Allier
* Murat, Cantal, a commune in the department of Cantal
Elsewhe ...
and Albepierre-Bredons
Albepierre-Bredons is a commune in the département of Cantal and Auvergne region of south-central France. .
Activities
Winter Sports
The Col de Prat-de-Bouc serves as one of the gateways to the Lioran ski resort. It has its own ski lifts for alpine skiing: 1 chairlift and 5 ski tows for 14 slopes, providing access to the Plomb du Cantal and the rest of the Lioran resort.
It is part of the Prat de Bouc - Haute Planèze cross-country skiing area.
Hiking
Prat-de-Bouc is the starting point for numerous hiking opportunities: hiking, mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
, ski touring, and trail running.
Rock
Climbing Several climbing routes are available at the Prés Marty rock, the Mouflon rock, the Montagnard rock, and the Chamalière rocks.
Birdwatching
The Col de Prat-de-Bouc is a key site for bird migration in Auvergne. Thousands of birds fly over it in the autumn. 163 bird species have been observed there since 1972. It is a Community Interest Area for birds and a .
Tour de France
It has been crossed 3 times by the Tour de France. It is classified as a Category 2 climb. Here are the riders who have been the first to reach the summit:
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prat-de-Bouc
Landforms of Cantal
Transport in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Mountain passes of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Mountain passes of the Massif Central