Should not be confused with | Pilat | |
| Information | |
| Country |  France |
|---|---|
| Area | 700 km² |
| Location | |
 45 ° 23 ′ 0 ″ N 4 ° 34 ′ 20 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Pilat is a mountain range on the foothills of the Massif Central, it dominates the Rhône valley to the south-east, the town of Saint Etienne and the Gier valley to the north. To the west, it extends to Haute-Loire. The massif extends over the departments of Loire and Rhône.
Understand
Main peaks
- 1 Crêt de la Perdrix – highest point of Pilat at 1,432 meters.
- An orientation table is located there from where one can see to the east the massif of Alps and the Rhône valley. To the west we can see the massifs of the Haute-Loire.
- Below Crêt de la Perdrix, is located La Jasserie where are the remains of one of the first French ski lifts and a springboard. The history of skiing is indeed very old, the International Winter Games were organized in Pilat from 1909.
- 2 Crêt de l'Œillon – culminating in 1,362 meters.
- A television relay is located there. The place also serves as a runway for paragliding.
- Cross of Montvieux (811 meters) and Doizieu collar (946 meters).
- Passes located between the crêt de l'Œillon and the crêt de monthivert. Nearby was the grand-hotel du pilat. Luxurious establishment built in the Belle Epoque to take advantage of the climate, it burned down in a fire in 1931.
- 3 Mount Monnet
- The Three Teeth.
- Culminating in 1,213 meters, and forming a ridge of 4 to 5 peaks (including 3 main ones, hence their names), the three teeth form a magnificent whole to the south-east of the Oillon ridge.
- 4 Pass of the Republic (or Col du Grand Bois) – 1,161 meters
- The term Republic comes from a religious sect the beguins which was established in the hamlet of the Republic in 1794. They founded there the republic of jesus christ, a kind of mini state whose vocation is to wait for the coming of the prophet Elijah. The republic of jesus christ will then be forcibly dissolved and its followers will end up imprisoned!
- The inauguration in 1832 of the RN82 going from Roanne to the Rhône valley, passing through the Col de la République, made it possible to reach the Rhône valley more directly without going through Lyon. High places of the cycling events of the Loire, a monument to the glory of Paul de Vivie (Vélocio) was inaugurated there in 1931. The construction of this road was not easy, its passage in the Pilat posed many technical and political problems. , the financing of the works was much more important than expected. But this road allowed the opening up of Pilat and the future development of winter sports in this region.
- 5 Col de la Croix de Chaubouret – (1,201 meters)
- Mount Chaussitre (1,240 meters)
- It culminates at 1,240 meters between Saint-Genest-Malifaux and Saint-Régis-du-Coin, the Mont-Chaussitre is home to some curiosities: source of Semène, Pierre Saint-Martin, orientation table with a magnificent view of Mont Mézenc, Lizieux and the mountains of Haute-Loire.
To go
Circulate
See
- Chapel and legend of Saint Sabine
- The chirats – These are rocky flows, which can sometimes reach more than a kilometer in length, which cover the steep slopes of Pilat. There are three main sites: The chirate of the crêt de l'Œillon; The chirate of Maupas in a tributary valley of the Dorlay, above Doizieux; The large chirate near the Saut du Gier.
- Gier jump – Below the Ferme de la Jasserie where it takes its source, the Gier forms a waterfall near a large chirate. A thin stream of water in summer, autumn and spring, it forms a waterfall and a curiosity for walkers joining the saw from Bosc to Jasserie.
- Peter of the Three Bishops – Located in the town of Saint-Régis-du-Coin, this stone always seems to have been used as a limit between several territories. In the Gallo-Roman era, it marked the border between three large provinces: Gaul Lyonnaise, Gaule Narbonnaise and Gaule Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne, it served as the border between Aquitaine, Provence and Burgundy, it thus served as a demarcation during the division of the empire in 843. In the Middle Ages, it delimited the archdioceses of Lyon, Vienne and Puys. It is probably from this particularity that its name comes, the bishops could thus gather on this stone without leaving their bishopric. However, it is unlikely that such meetings took place.
- Giant Fir – Located near the Pont Sauvignet between the village of Tarentaise and the hamlet of the Republic, this tree dates from the 17th century.
- Pierre Saint-Martin – Located near Mont Chaussitre, this vast stone is surrounded by a legend. Saint-Martin by moving would have left its mark here. Since then, according to a local belief, this stone would have the ability to help young children to walk.
- Peat bogs – We find, as often in the Massif Central, small peat bogs, formed on the traces of an old lake that plants have ended up colonizing. The Tourbière de Giméle (in the town of Saint-Régis-du-Coin) can be visited. The Pilat bogs are the subject of protection measures.
Make
- Hiking
- Cross-country skiing / Alpine skiing
- Paragliding
- Climbing
