Puy de Montoncel, Mountain summit in Bois Noirs, France
Puy de Montoncel is a mountain summit in the Massif Central located where Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, and Allier departments meet. The peak stands at 1287 meters and rises over open moors in a relatively undulating terrain.
The area received Natura 2000 protection status in 1995 to safeguard the last mountain moors of the massif. This designation helped secure the fragile ecosystems of the region for future generations.
The name of this summit connects to 'monachus tonsura', a reference to how the bare peak resembles a monk's shaved head. This link to monastic tradition shapes how local people think about the mountain today.
The summit can be reached through marked trails from Col de la Charme, Col des Planchettes, or the villages of La Lizolle and Les Cros. Each route offers different levels of effort and duration, with all paths clearly marked for walkers.
The slopes of this summit contain the sources of the Besbre River and tributaries of the Durolle and Credogne that feed the La Muratte dam. These hidden water sources make the mountain an important watershed for the region.
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