The adventure begins on the first approach slopes, the landscape becomes increasingly arid to transform into a "lunar" landscape upon arrival at the "Sand Plain"

An 8 am departure from "Pas de Bellecombe" is reasonable to put all the odds on our side for a good weather window. The entry to the enclosure, the descent of the rampart, is done on a small trail nicknamed "staircase" for about twenty minutes... We then arrive on lava that has fallen in "cow pats" or corded lava, giving the impression of being on the moon!

In this truly otherworldly atmosphere, we climb and tour the small "Léo" formica, an old small crater of volcanic purge with yellow and red colors. Then we head to the (natural) "Rosemont chapel" making you discover the atmosphere of "lava tunnels"...

From there 2 options :

Option 1: Drive around the main crater then return to "Pas de Bellecombe"
Option 2: Summit ascent (+1h) then tour of the "Dolomieu" crater depending on weather and prefectural orders that may come into play at the slightest tremor, eruptions, collapses...

The summit offers us a magnificent view of the "caldera", Piton des Neiges and the Wild South...

If the volcano is active, we will modify the hike towards viewpoints on possible lava flows.