The Plomb du Cantal () is the highest summit of
Mounts of Cantal
The Mounts of Cantal (or Volcanoes of Cantal; french: Monts du Cantal ) are a mountainous massif in the mid-west of the Massif Central, France, made up of the remnants of the largest stratovolcano of Europe, which was formed from 13 million years ...
in the
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
, France. It is the second highest summit of the Massif Central, after the mountain of
Puy de Sancy
Puy de Sancy (, ; oc, label=Auvergnat, Puèi de la Crotz , ) is the highest mountain in the Massif Central. It is part of an ancient stratovolcano which has been inactive for about 220,000 years.
The northern and southern slopes are used f ...
.
Geography and geology
The summit is located in the eastern part of the volcanic massif of the Cantal. Formed of
basanite, it is a remnant of a basaltic lake formed of solidified lava and is the site of the most recent volcanic activity in the range. It was formed 2.9 million years ago, above an accumulation of several layers of pyroclastic
trachyandesite
Trachyandesite is an extrusive igneous rock with a composition between trachyte and andesite. It has little or no free quartz, but is dominated by sodic plagioclase and alkali feldspar. It is formed from the cooling of lava enriched in alka ...
.
Access
The summit is accessible from the ski resort of
Super Lioran by a cable car and also from the pass of Prat-de-Bouc (in the east) via a hiking trail.
References
{{Authority control
Volcanoes of Metropolitan France