La Sambuy, a ski resort town near Mont Blanc in the French Alps, has decided to dismantle its ski lifts as warmer winter conditions have shrunk its ski season to only a few weeks, too short to generate enough profits.
“Before, we used to have snow practically from December 1 up March 30,” La Sambuy’s Mayor, Jacques Dalex, told cnn.com.
Last winter saw only four weeks of snow in the town and even then it was inadequate for snow sports. The resort was able to open for fewer than five weeks during January and February 2023, resulting in an annual operating loss of about €500 000 (R10,1m). Keeping the three ski lifts functioning costs €80 000 (R1,6m) per year.
Dalex said the resort would focus its efforts on marketing itself as a summer hiking and outdoor eco-destination.
Mountain Wilderness, a French environmental group, has dismantled 22 ski lifts in France since 2001, and estimates that there are about 106 abandoned ski lifts across the country.
According to a report published in August by the scientific journal, Nature Climate Change, 53% of 2 234 ski resorts surveyed in Europe are likely to experience a very high snow supply risk.
Because the closure of the ski lift would be harmful to the local town’s economy, an association called All Together For La Sambuy (Tous Ensemble Pour La Sambuy) has launched a petition to keep the resort and ski lift, with the plan to operate the chair lift in summer to take visitors up the mountain.
