Some of France's biggest ski areas may be on thin ice - literally. From Les Trois Vallées to Les Deux Alpes, melting permafrost is putting the future of the French skiing industry in peril. Melting glaciers already made headlines during the heatwave this summer, which saw positive temperatures at the summit of Mont Blanc. Now, not only glacier ski areas but also regular ski resorts are questioning the stability of their lifts and mountain shelters due to the melting permafrost.
Permafrost refers to any type of ground that remains permanently frozen, including soil and rock. Many ski resorts are built on top of this frozen ground, which provides a solid foundation that could be called "natural cement" that helps hold up various types of infrastructure such as ski lifts. Now, climate change has caused massive shrinkage of the permafrost under some of France's most popular ski resorts. With the previously stable ground now shifting and moving, this manmade infrastructure is in danger of collapse.
Ski resorts have responded by artificially solidifying the ground and making changes to lift foundations, many of which now have sensors that will send alerts if the ground shifts. In response to shifting ground last year under the Bochard cable car which saw the lift closed for a month, Chamonix recently spent £1.3 million reinforcing its cable car infrastructure. Les Deux Alpes and Val Thorens have also had to make some adjustments to their infrastructure to compensate for melting permafrost.
But it's not just the lifts themselves that require attention. If they want to mitigate the effects of climate change, ski resorts will have to look at the entire picture. That's why many ski resorts are going green - including Chamonix, which is in the process of working out a way to restrict vehicle access to the valley. As a gateway to the Mont Blanc tunnel, Chamonix sees thousands of cars pollute its snow every year. The region hopes to implement hybrid and electric ski shuttles to help curb traffic.
Ever felt vaguely guilty when you look at the road in a ski resort village and noticed it's completely blackened with pollution? Ironically, the inventions that allow us to go skiing - artificial snow machines, heated chalets and energy-guzzling ski shuttles - are the very things destroying the pristine mountain environment we all love. What can we do to help keep the mountains white? One of the biggest contributers to your ski holiday carbon footprint is the transportation you take to get to the ski resort. Choosing train travel over plane travel can reduce your carbon emissions by about 90%. Other actions you can take including choosing a responsible holiday provider and a sustainable ski resort. There are plenty of green choices that won't affect the quality of your ski holiday, and these small actions can make a huge difference.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
