Chalmazel or Chalmazel – Pierre-sur-Haute is a winter sports resort located in the Massif Central, within the commune of Chalmazel-Jeansagnière in the Loire department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its alpine ski area stretches from 1,109 to 1,600 meters above sea level on the slopes of Pierre-sur-Haute, the highest point of the Monts du Forez (1,634 meters), between the forest and the wild high moors (les hautes Chaumes).
The first pistes were laid out in the 1930s, and the first lift was built in 1953 on the initiative of the local ski club. Today, the site boasts 12 kilometers of downhill ski runs served by one detachable bubble chairlift, seven drag lifts, and equipped with 90 snow guns. There's also cross-country skiing on the Haut Forez Nordic ski area at Col de la Loge, and snowkiting on the high altitude bare plateaus. In the summer, Chalmazel offers a variety of activities, including downhill karts and scooters, mountain bike trails with acrobatic modules, and hiking from both the resort and the chairlift arrival point.
Chalmazel mainly attracts daily visitors from the Forez plain, as well as from the Roanne and St. Etienne conurbations, all within 80 kilometers. It also receives some visitors from Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon.
Geography
Situation
The ski resort of the commune of Chalmazel-Jeansagnière is located at an altitude of 1,120 meters, at a place called Les Bois, 4 kilometers as the crow flies from the village 250 meters below. The station is linked to the village by the 6-kilometer-long route départementale no. 632, and is served by line 112 of the Transports interurbains de la Loire (TIL) from Montbrison. It is a 1-hour, 15-minute drive from Saint-Étienne, Clermont-Ferrand, and Roanne and, since the opening of the A89 autoroute, a 1-hour, 30-minute drive from Lyon.
It is the only downhill ski resort in the Monts du Forez, a mountain range in the Massif Central to the northwest of Saint-Étienne. The range overlooks the Forez plain (to the east) and the Dore valley (to the west), and marks the boundary between the departments of Loire (formerly Rhône-Alpes) and Puy-de-Dôme (formerly Auvergne), both now part of the same Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
At an altitude of 1,634 metres, Pierre-sur-Haute, the highest point in the ski area, is the summit of the massif and of the Loire department. Its summit is home to a military radio station, civil aviation radar, and civilian communications facilities, visible from the surrounding plains and valleys. On clear days, one can see Mont Blanc in the distance, the Plomb du Cantal, the Monts Dore, and the Puy de Dôme.
The Lignon, a 58.1 kilometer-long left-bank tributary of the Loire River, flows through the estate. The river rises on the estate, between Pierre-sur-Haute and the Signal de Procher (1,544 m), below the Col de la Chamboîte.
Fauna and flora
The area around Chalmazel is a diverse natural environment, with a marked layering of different biotopes. The lower, montane level is made up of relatively dense pine, beech, and fir forests, which give way, above 1,400 meters, to vast high plateaus: the Hautes Chaumes. This sub-alpine heath is made up of moorland dotted with peat bogs. Some of these herbaceous plateaus are grazed, allowing a mixture of grasses, wavy hair-grass, fescues, and shrubs (callune, bilberry, hairy broom, lycopods). Peat bogs offer a floristic diversity of particular interest, with podium-leaved andromeda mingling with sphagnum moss, cranberry, and marsh cinquefoil. Carnivorous plants such as large-flowered butterwort and sedges are also present.
Pastoral activities, along with the maintenance of the resort's trails, play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity. A small population of Diphasiastrum tristachyum, a rare species protected at national-level and listed in France's Red Book of Threatened Flora, has been identified on the slopes of Couzan. The management of ski slopes is carried out with care to avoid ground-level grinding, which helps preserve the host habitat and prevent the spread of callune.
The Couzan and Chapouilloux woods are home to the black woodpecker, Europe's largest woodpecker, as well as the common raven and, to a lesser extent, the woodcock.
Due to this ecological diversity, the areas surrounding the resort are classified as a natural zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest, with the hautes Chaumes designated as a Natura 2000 site, which restricts the expansion of the ski area.
Weather The climate of the Monts du Forez is characterized by the presence of the burle, a northerly wind that forms large snowdrifts and explains the absence of vegetation on the summit plateaus, as well as frequent fog (132 days a year) that causes frost. The resort of Chalmazel has dealt with this situation by developing its ski area mainly in the forest, which provides natural protection against the weather, and by installing snow barriers on exposed summits. The vehicles on the Jasseries chairlift are equipped with a liquid shock absorber system to limit the effects of wind.
Annual rainfall at Pierre-sur-Haute is over 1,500 millimetres, and remains stable throughout the year, unlike at the lower points of the massif, where winters are drier. At the summit, the average number of days per year, when the temperature is negative, is close to 200, with more than 100 days without thaw and an annual period of natural snow cover enabling skiing of between 70 and 80 days. Autumn remains mild, and winter generally overlaps with spring: April is harsher than November. Rainfall episodes can be intense, but remain random, particularly in the valleys. As a result, the date of the first snowfall fluctuates widely. On the other hand, the cold climate and the presence of the Lignon river enable the resort to produce artificial snow to ensure the opening of the ski area in December.
History
Toponymy The resort takes its name from the former commune of Chalmazel, where it is located. This name derives directly from the former name of the highest point of the massif, now called Pierre-sur-Haute, known before the 18th century as Chal, derived from the prelatin "calma" (meaning thatch) bare plateau at altitude.Maurice Damon, A.G.E.L, 2004 Added to this is mazel, from the Latin "man(s)um" (mazet, mas, manse, maison), the substantival past participle of the verb "manere" (to dwell).Albert Dauzat et Charles Rostaing, Larousse, 1963Albert Dauzat, Librairie Delagrave, 1926
Organized skiing at Chalmazel
The history of skiing in Chalmazel dates back to the 1934–1935 winter season, when the Ski Club Roannais built the first downhill run, known as piste "A", on the slopes of the Chapouilloux woods. In 1936, the Chalmazel school launched the first school ski days. In 1939, the Forez-Velay-Vivarais Ski Federation organized a major regional competition, with downhill, slalom, combined and jumping events, attracting over 1,500 spectators.
After World War II, in 1946, three local ski enthusiasts—Émile Doitrand, René Morel, and Fernand Bost—founded the Ski Club Chalmazellois. This association was instrumental in the construction of the first lift in 1953: the 605-meter-long Chapouilloux cable car. In 1959, three members of the Thiers ski-club initiated the construction of the Chalmazel 1500 ski lift on the high stubble below the Signal de Procher, accessible from the Col du Béal. A training lift, La Parre (or La Part),La Parre or La Part, depending on whether you refer to the IGN maps of the time or to the land registry. was installed in 1964 not far from the Chapouilloux lift. All these pioneering ski lifts in the Monts du Forez have now been dismantled. It was also in 1964 that a more ambitious project took shape, under the impetus of Eloi Marcoux, president of the Ski Club: the development of new downhill ski runs on the slopes of Pierre-sur-Haute, with the installation by the commune of the Granges ski lift, which to this day remains the longest ski lift in the Massif Central.
Structuring and development
The resort continued to develop in 1967, led by Eloi Marcoux, who, in addition to his role as president of the Ski-club, was now also the facilities manager, and Henri Essertel, general secretary of the commune of Montbrison and the Régie de Chalmazel. They had the support of the Conseil Général and its president, Antoine Pinay, who wanted to provide the department with a modern ski center. The lift park was developed, pistes were laid out and a snow front with reception, rental stores, and apartments was built. The Pierre-sur-Haute four-seater gondola was built, forming the backbone of the resort at 2,340 meters. This lift was one of the first "egg" lines built by French manufacturer Poma. Additionally, the ski school lift was installed in 1967 on the Granges flat, accessible to beginners from the gondola's intermediate station. After a few seasons, it was relocated to its final position at the foot of the slopes near the gondola departure station, subsequently renamed the Bosquet ski lift. It was replaced in 1993 by the 400-meter-long Forestière lift, now also dismantled.
In 1980, the Couzan black run was constructed, and a new pathway was cleared through the forest on the slopes of the Signal de Procher, intended to facilitate the opening of a new piste. However, this project was never completed. Although naturally reforested over the years, the gap on the side of the Signal de Procher remains visible today.
In 1983, the resort installed snow guns on the Granges piste and created a small beginners' area behind Les Épilobes restaurant, also equipped with snow guns.
Modernization policy
In the 2000s, the Departmental Council of Loire took over management of the ski area and invested in new facilities.
In 2002, the gondola lift, now obsolete and insufficient in terms of throughput, was replaced by the Jasseries detachable bubble chairlift, at a cost of 3,600,000 euros excluding tax (excluding dismantling, civil engineering, and project management). It was followed by the Pierre-sur-Haute ski lift, which extended the high-altitude runs to the summit of the massif.
Investments continued in 2004 with the renovation of the beginners' area. The Campanules slope was created, and snow guns and two new surface lifts were installed.
In 2003, the Couzan ski lift was modernized, followed in 2006 by the Granges ski lift. This was followed in 2008 by the replacement of the Cimes lift, which serves the upper Couzan sector and the more technical runs. The lift now has a longer layout to facilitate access to the Chamboîte piste and the black runs. This work was accompanied by the installation of 20 snow guns in the Couzan sector.
Downhill skiing
The alpine ski area extends from 1,109 meters to 1,600 meters in altitude on the eastern side of Pierre-sur-Haute. Chalmazel's skiing offerings are primarily family-oriented, featuring highlights such as the 2,800-meter Granges piste, the trails at the foot of Pierre-sur-Haute, the more technical Couzan sector, and a dedicated beginners' area. Although the ski area is modest in size, encompassing 11 kilometers of trails, this is due to the recent classification of certain forested regions. Nevertheless, the Conseil général de la Loire focuses on quality, implementing measures such as sodding, installing snow barriers on bare sections, and using 90 snow guns to ensure the slopes remain open. The ski area is well-served by a modern fleet of ski lifts.Service Technique des Remontées Mécaniques et des Transports Guidés, Fichier Informatisé des appareils de Remontées Mécaniques, 2010, list of equipment in service at Chalmazel station
Technical equipment
Since 2002, almost 90% of the ski area's lifts have been built, replaced or renovated.