The Fontveille Training Gallery 2 in Susville: Underground School of the Matheysine Miners

Welcome to Susville, right in the heart of the rugged Matheysine plateau! As you walk beneath the quiet forest canopy along the old miners’ trail, nature seems to have reclaimed every inch of the hillside. Yet right beneath your feet lies a pioneer site where generations of young recruits first learned to conquer the dark underground world.

Pull out your smartphone: here is your on-the-trail walking guide to spotting the hidden clues of this underground training school.

---

Quick Field Facts for Your Walk

---

1. A Underground School Carved into the Alpine Slope

Before facing the immense pressure, darkness, and dangerous conditions of the deep extraction shafts like the Villaret or Marais pits, young miners had to earn their stripes right here in Susville.

• Hands-on practice without production stress: In Gallery 2, apprentices learned how to swing a pick, handle pneumatic tools, and maneuver through dark drifts without the relentless pressure of production quotas.

• Mastering vital survival reflexes: Under the watchful eye of veteran miners, recruits practiced sounding the rock ceiling to spot weak slabs, bracing tunnel walls, and surviving in low-visibility environments.

• Curtain falls in 1957: As mining operations across the Dauphiné basin were modernized and streamlined, this underground classroom permanently closed its gates.

---

2. Reading the Forest Floor: What Remains on Site

At first glance, the woods seem completely wild. But look closely around the underbrush next to the trail to spot four key clues left behind by the mine workers:

The Concrete Foundations

When the autumn leaves drop, low concrete blocks emerge from the moss. These mark the footprint of a small auxiliary technical building—most likely used as a tool shed, shelter, or changing room for instructors and recruits.

The Leveled Spoil Heap and Inclined Plane

Just past the building footprint lies the razzier, the local term for the waste-rock heap. While flattened and reshaped over the decades, look down toward its base: you can still spot the stone-and-mortar masonry of an inclined plane used to winch materials up and down the slope.

The High-Pressure Water Pipe

Rusting on the ground, a thick section of iron pipe catches the eye. In anthracite mining, pressurized water was pumped underground to spray into coal faces. This critical technique knocked down hazardous coal dust, shielding miners from silicosis and deadly underground dust explosions.

---

3. 1997: Steel Arches Revealed Before Final Sealing

Forty years after its 1957 closure, Gallery 2 briefly saw daylight again. In 1997, state safety teams excavated the entrance during an environmental reclamation campaign:

• State-of-the-art steel sets: Instead of decaying wooden timbers, excavators uncovered heavy, curved steel arches holding up the roof. This heavy-duty metal support proved that Gallery 2 served as a modern educational showcase for 20th-century mining engineering.

• Permanent closure: To ensure safety across the old coalfield, engineers completely backfilled the portal, leveled the surrounding earth, and covered the worksite with fresh topsoil to let nature take its course.

---

Guide’s Field Tip for Hikers

As you hike along the historic Chemin des mineurs, pause right near the GPS coordinates during late autumn or winter. With the thick summer ferns gone, the rectangular outline of the concrete floor pads and the stonework of the inclined plane stand out sharply against the hillside!