breathtaking frosty landscapes

Cold snap on the Loire. The polar temperatures that fell on the Pilat massif transformed the landscapes. At the Auberge de la Jasserie, at more than 1,300 meters above sea level, regulars and walkers appreciate it.

The “Extreme Cold” vigilance is maintained until Thursday January 16, in the Loire department. In Haut-Pilat, at the Auberge de la Jasserie, this snowy landscape and these white slopes are reminiscent of the winters of yesteryear.

Cold snap, frost and polar temperatures

This Tuesday morning, significant frost affected the Loire department. The polar cold forecast for the area on Sunday evening was there. Negative temperatures were recorded. At daybreak, the mercury fluctuated between -5°C and -10°C. Worthy of a harsh winter. But the temperature felt was much colder still, down to -20°C.

Pilat: postcard landscapes

In the Pilat massif, at the foot of Crêt de la Perdrix, which rises to an altitude of 1432 meters, the fields are covered with a thin layer of frost. The vegetation and fir trees seem petrified by the frost. These postcard landscapes delight hikers and locals in the area. Coming from Lyon or Saint-Etienne, lovers of hikes and walks in this icy nature appreciate the sunny view, as well as the dry and invigorating cold.

An inn perched on Pilat

Located in the town of Valla-en-Gier, La Jasserie is at an altitude of more than 1,300 meters. In this inn in the Pilat massif, we are used to harsh winters and terrible weather conditions. Transformed a long time ago into a refuge-inn, this stone building topped with a bell tower was built very close to the source of the Gier. It is a popular place of passage and stay. The place has been run for over 80 years by the Masson family.

Proof of this recent cold offensive: the Jasserie fountain is surrounded by a layer of ice. This is the father by Georges Masson who built this fountain 50 years ago. At that time the climate was good plus rude. “There have been winters with more snow. But there has been less for about twenty years. Before, every winter, we were stuck for at least three weeks or a month. It will come back one day, it can change”, assures Georges Masson.

Since the 19th century, Pilat has attracted wealthy tourists who came to find a refuge to spend summer holidays in the great outdoors. But the massif quickly established itself as a mecca for Saint-Etienne winter sports despite its low altitude. The snow and cold at the beginning of January recall the good times of the small Loire resort.

Once upon a time…

If La Jasserie was a summer tourist site since the 19th century, a ski lift was installed there at the end of the 1920s by Eugène Masson. A rudimentary installation which worked very little and was quickly abandoned after a structure was broken, due to lack of financial means to repair it. In 1937, below the farm, a ski lift with fixed poles was then built. But it was in 1967 that activity developed on the plateau with the installation of a first ski lift. Followed by a second in 1973. These lifts allowed the introduction to skiing of many young people from Loire.

Due to unpredictable snow conditions, the site collapsed. The history of the ski lifts at La Jasserie, begun in 1928 by Eugène Masson, ended in 1992. The poles were dismantled. But alpine skiing has not said its last word in the Loire: the discipline has left the slopes of Pilat to concentrate on the Forez mountains, Chalmazel. As for the Auberge de la Jasserie, it remains a tourist hotspot in Pilat. It is also the starting point for many family walks, snowshoe hikes or mountain bike rides.