Le Massif

Le Massif is a ski area in Québec, Canada, northeast of Quebec City and directly overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Le Massif de Charlevoix ski area is located in Petite-Rivière-Saint François, Charlevoix, Québec, a 75-minute drive from Quebec City. Its vertical drop is 770 m (2,526 ft), the most in Eastern Canada. Apart from a big vertical drop and lots of snow, Le Massif de Charlevoix's main claim to fame is that the area is accessible both from the top and from the base. There are three peaks, two of which are currently developed. Skiing season usually lasts from early December to late April. Le Massif de Charlevoix gets a lot of snow, and keeps it, as it also gets little rain for an eastern ski area. The natural snowpack can exceed eight feet at the summit on a typical winter. However, the base is nearly at sea level and can lose its snow quickly once April rolls in. La Charlevoix, the steepest trail, is home to the only alpine training center east of the Rockies for Canada's athletes. This trail, with a steepest pitch of 64%, is considered by many to be one of the top three most difficult women’s downhill trails in the world.