Pyramidal summit and moorland, Mandailles-Saint-Julien

The Cantal is an extinct volcano, one of the largest stratovolcanoes in Europe, dormant for millions of years and since sculpted by erosion and glaciers. This near-perfectly symmetrical conical summit is a remnant of its rocky frame, exposed as the ice retreated, the same process that carved the massif's U-shaped valleys. Taken on 10 August 2024 at midday from the heights of Mandailles-Saint-Julien, the image frames this solitary peak above the grassy moorland where herds graze in summer. The low summer light sharpens the relief and clearly separates the bare rock of the summit from the low vegetation on the slopes.