Ski Resorts Battle Warming Winters: Innovation or Extinction?

[Social Media]

 

As global warming causes shorter snow seasons, ski resorts across Europe are facing an uncertain future. In Västerås, central Sweden, Thomas Ohlander of the outdoor adventure business Do The North, is struggling to predict when the snow will come. “To schedule a trip, we have to be sure of snow,” he explains, noting that the date for the season's start has been moving further back each year. In 1988, the local ice-skating club recorded its first day on frozen lakes as November 4th. This year, it is predicted to be December 4th.

 

 

 

This troubling pattern is not confined to Sweden. Across Europe, there are growing concerns about the future of winter sports. In France, resorts like Alpe du Grand Serre and Grand Puy have announced they will not open this winter due to financial and environmental challenges.

 

 

According to geographer Pierre Alexandre Metral from Grenoble University, since the 1970s, 180 resorts have permanently closed. Alpe du Grand Serre lacked funds to become a year-round destination, while Grand Puy was forced to shut down because inconsistent snowfall has led to fewer visitors and significant financial losses. This trend of closures is well-established: as snow lines retreat, lower-altitude resorts are unable to sustain their operations. In Spain’s Sierra Guadarrama, the Club Alpino, opened in the 1940s, has also been closed for good, often remaining snow-free.

 

Globally, this decline is reflected in the sustainability of Winter Olympics locations. A recent study found that of the 21 former host sites, only one—Sapporo—could still feasibly host by the end of the century. The Beijing Olympics in 2022 relied entirely on artificial snow. Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, warns that the ski industry faces an existential crisis.

 

 

Richard Sinclair, CEO of Sno, one of Britain’s largest ski holiday providers, echoes these concerns. “The demand is for ‘snow surety,’ which means more pressure on higher altitude resorts like Valle Thorens and more reliance on destinations like the US and Canada,” Sinclair says. He fears that the affordability of skiing, which began to improve in the 1980s, may be reversed. “I don’t want to see skiing become the preserve of the rich again. Decarbonisation and sustainability have to be the way forward.”

 

 

Despite the bleak outlook, some analysts see hope in innovation. German winter sports consultant Karl-Christoph Schrahe highlights new technologies, such as snow-making machines that use water flow to generate electricity. In areas like Sauerland in Germany, where the maximum elevation is just 843 meters, snow machines have become essential for survival. Sauerland, catering primarily to local and Dutch skiers, uses over half a million cubic meters of water to create snow.

 

Schrahe acknowledges that artificial snow may appear harmful to the environment but insists the broader picture is positive. “Economically, it can work. In Germany, no additives are allowed, so it’s clean water. The water is not lost, it returns to the ecosystem. Resorts are using renewable energy. You get rural jobs and a big return on the investment.” 

 

Other resorts have taken similar approaches. In Slovenia, snow-making machines are supported by investments in solar and hydro power plants. Matej Kandare, director of the Slovenia Outdoor Association, emphasizes the importance of these innovations, stating that every euro spent generates six in return for the economy. Additionally, Slovenia is investing in summer activities such as cycling and hiking, which are now essential for keeping resorts viable year-round.

 

However, not everyone believes snow machines are the solution. Vanda Bonardo, co-president of Italian environmental group Legambiente, criticizes the heavy dependence on artificial snow in Italy. “It’s not a sustainable practice,” Bonardo argues. “It is bad for the environment and a waste of public money. It’s time to think about a new model of winter tourism.”

 

Back in Sweden, Ohlander remains optimistic. While the future of snow sports may be uncertain, he believes that innovation goes beyond technology. “We try to bring something new every year,” he says, pointing to a new expedition planned for this winter. “Up there, Sweden has a small herd of musk ox that are rarely ever sighted. It’ll take a week to ski in, pulling everything we need on sleds, then search for them.”

 

Based on a report from The Guardian 2024-10-12

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

He fears that the affordability of skiing, which began to improve in the 1980s, may be reversed. “I don’t want to see skiing become the preserve of the rich again. Decarbonisation and sustainability have to be the way forward.”

Good luck on the "decarbonisation", LOL. It's never going to happen IMO. Too many natural sources of carbon, such as burning the rainforests to raise cattle etc. If humans can't stop destroying the environment that sustains the climate we need to survive, humanity will become extinct, just like all the species humans have killed off in the past.

 

Snow has been vanishing since at least 1973 when I started skiing. IN NZ the snow level has been retreating every year since then. I joined a club that had a high tow and a low tow. Some years later the low tow was removed as there was never enough snow to use it. When the club was formed in the 1930s, the members skied at the base of the mountain, and had a pond to skate on. By the 1950s there was never enough snow at that level to ski on so they had to build a tow and hut thousands of feet higher up the mountain. The skating pond stopped freezing some years ago.

 

IMO skiing will either go artificial surface or be restricted to places that can afford to make snow.

Resorts will either find a way to survive without skiing or go the way of the minuet.

[impulse]

 

When one door closes, another opens.