Today, the site boasts 12 kilometers of downhill ski runs served by 1 detachable bubble chairlift, 7 drag lifts, and equipped with 90 snow guns.

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.

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.

[2] Its summit is home to a military radio station, civil aviation radar, and civilian communications facilities, visible from the surrounding plains and valleys.

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.

Some of these herbaceous plateaus are grazed, allowing a mixture of grasses, wavy hair-grass, fescues, and shrubs (callune, bilberry, hairy broom, lycopods).

[8] Peat bogs offer a floristic diversity of particular interest, with podium-leaved andromeda mingling with sphagnum moss, cranberry, and marsh cinquefoil.

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.

[12] 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.

[13] 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.

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.

[16] 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).

[20] 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.

[23] 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.

[24][1] 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.

[27] 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.

Its four-seater chairs are fitted with a polycarbonate hood to protect passengers from the elements, and a liquid shock absorber to limit rocking, allowing operation even in poor weather conditions.

[36] From the February school vacations onwards, weather conditions permitting, the resort constructs a snowpark, typically located next to the Pierre-sur-Haute ski lift.

Notably, the Col du Béal, situated at an altitude of 1,390 meters on the border between the communes of Chalmazel and Saint-Pierre-la-Bourlhonne, is accessible by road and features a gîte-auberge at the summit.

[1][41] The Jasseries chairlift operates from mid-June to the end of August, transporting walkers and mountain bikers to an altitude of 1,463 meters at the Plat des Granges.

The trail also allows you to discover the jasseries, age-old stone farmhouses with thatched roofs, and red tiles where the Fourme de Montbrison were made.

[1] In 2016, this route was part of stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, with a finish at the foot of the slopes, won by Spaniard Jesús Herrada ahead of Frenchman Tony Gallopin.

[44] From the resort of Chalmazel, cyclists climb the Col du Béal at 1,390 meters, via the D6 departmental road, which offers a steady gradient of around 5% over 10 kilometers.

[38] The ascent can also be made on the Auvergne side, in particular from Vertolaye, via Saint-Pierre-la-Bourlhonne, via a circuit classified as hors catégorie in 2014, with a vertical drop of 895 meters over 13 km, using the D268A, D268 and D40 departmental roads.

With its medieval appearance, the château retains elements of a fortified house dating from 1231, along with various modifications and additions made by the Talaru family over the centuries, including loopholes, wall bases, a keep, and a machicolated parapet walk.

[55] These financial revenues enable the resort to self-manage its operating expenses, but do not cover major investments, which remain the responsibility of the local authority.

Chalmazel experienced a significant decline in visitor numbers during the 2006–2007 season, with a total of 33,720 skier days, attributed to low snowfall throughout the winter.

[1] Chalmazel primarily attracts a local clientele, with 58% of skiers hailing from the Loire department and 26% from neighboring areas like Puy-de-Dôme and, to a lesser extent, Rhône.

[29] However, Chalmazel benefits from its beautiful natural setting in the Forez mountains, modern lift facilities, and its distinction as the only downhill ski resort in the Loire department.