Le Massif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Le Massif de Charlevoix |
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Slopes overlooking the St. Lawrence River
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 Le Massif
Location in Canada
Le Massif
Location in Quebec
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| Location | Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Canada |
| Nearest city | Quebec City: 70 km (43 mi) |
| Coordinates | 47°17′N 70°37′W / 47.28°N 70.61°W |
| Vertical | 770 m (2,526 ft) |
| Top elevation | 806 m (2,644 ft) |
| Base elevation | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Skiable area | 406.3 acres (164.4 ha) |
| Runs | 52 total - 15% Easy - 30% Intermediate - 20% Difficult - 35% Expert |
| Longest run | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Lift system | 6 total 1 high-speed gondola 3 detachable quads 1 platter-type 1 novice conveyor |
| Lift capacity | 11,200 skiers/hr |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 645 cm (250 in) |
| Snowmaking | 70% - 174.6 acres (70 ha) |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | lemassif.com |
Le Massif de Charlevoix is a super fun ski area in Quebec, Canada. It's located northeast of Quebec City and has amazing views of the St. Lawrence River. It's known for its tall slopes and beautiful scenery.
What Makes Le Massif Special?
Le Massif de Charlevoix is found in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Charlevoix, Quebec. It's only about a 50-minute drive from Quebec City.
Tallest Slopes in Eastern Canada
This ski area has a huge vertical drop of 770 m (2,526 ft). This makes it the highest vertical drop in all of Eastern Canada, and even east of the Rocky Mountains! It's also special because you can start skiing from both the very top of the mountain or from the bottom.
Ski Season and Snow
The skiing season at Le Massif usually runs from early December until late April. This gives you plenty of time to hit the slopes! The resort gets a lot of snow each year, more than many other ski areas in Eastern Canada. On average, it gets about 645 cm (250 in) of snow. While the top of the mountain can have over 240 cm (90 in) of snow in winter, the base is close to sea level, so the snow there can melt faster by April.
Home to Champion Training
One of the most challenging trails at Le Massif is called La Charlevoix. It's super steep, with a pitch of 64%! This trail is so tough that it's used as the only alpine training center east of the Rockies for Canada's best athletes. They train here to get ready for big competitions.
A Look Back: History of Le Massif
Skiing at Le Massif de Charlevoix began in the late 1970s. Back then, it was very simple. Skiers would be pulled up the mountain by snowmobiles, and a van would act as the "lift" to bring them back up.
Early Days and First Lifts
In the early 1980s, the ski area started to become a real business. School buses were used to drive skiers from the bottom of the mountain back to the top after each run. This was a big step up! Then, in the summer of 1992, two proper chairlifts were installed. These included a fast high-speed quad and a fixed-grip double chairlift.
Big Changes in the 2000s
The year 2001 brought many important changes to Le Massif de Charlevoix. A new road was built from Route 138 directly to the top of the mountain. This made it much quicker to get to the ski area from Quebec City. The trip was cut down from 95 km (60 mi) to just 70 km (43 mi).
At the same time, a part of the mountain called Cap Maillard was made 35 m (115 ft) taller. This helped create the famous La Charlevoix trail, which meets the standards of the FIS. This trail was designed by a famous alpine ski champion named Bernhard Russi.
Hosting Junior World Championships
La Charlevoix trail has hosted important events like the speed races of the 2006 Junior World Championships. The Junior Worlds came back to Le Massif in 2013 too!
New Ownership and Spokesperson
In 2002, Daniel Gauthier, who helped start the famous Cirque du Soleil, bought Le Massif de Charlevoix. He used some of the money from selling his part of Cirque du Soleil to buy the ski resort. In 2005, Jean-Luc Brassard, an Olympic champion in freestyle mogul skiing, became a spokesperson for Le Massif.
More Skiing Areas and Tourist Train
After a record snowfall in 2009, Le Massif de Charlevoix added 26 acres (11 ha) of new areas for backcountry skiing on Mount A Liguori. This gave skiers even more places to explore!
In September 2011, a new tourist train service started running from Quebec City. In the winter, this train would stop right at Le Massif de Charlevoix, making it easier for visitors to get there. The ski area even built a hotel in Baie-Saint-Paul with a special train stop and a gondola to connect to the train station. However, the winter train service didn't have enough passengers and stopped running after the 2014-2015 season. Now, the train runs from June to October.
Images for kids
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Large panorama taken from the top of Le Massif along the Saint-Lawrence River
