French ski resort in the Pyrenees announces end of skiing due to lack of snow
Authorities are instead planning a ‘four season model’ – but some locals are not happy
Hautacam is located at an altitude of between 1,500 and 1,800 metres, and has suffered a lack of snow in recent winters
Garcia Celine/Shutterstock
A French ski resort in the Pyrenees has confirmed it will no longer offer winter downhill piste skiing, after suffering three years of a severe lack of snow.
The resort, Hautacam, which was created near the commune of Beaucens (Hautes-Pyrénées) in 1972, is located at an altitude of between 1,500 and 1,800 metres.
It usually has 25 km of winter downhill skiing lanes across 20 pistes, and seven mechanical lifts.
“The resort has just endured its third winter with a serious lack of snow, which has inevitably had a direct and significant negative financial impact on its accounts,” said a joint press release statement issued by the Hautacam joint association, the Pyrénées Vallées des Gaves community of municipalities and the Lourdes mairie.
“Like many mid-altitude resorts, Hautacam is dependent on global warming [trends]. It does not make sense to continue winter skiing operations, with the significant financial risks involved.”
The Hautacam joint association admitted that it had been “forced to request a significant contribution of €1,440,000 from the two local authorities to cover the accumulated deficits, instead of the €630,000 [needed] in previous years”. This is not financially viable, it said.
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Instead, the resort confirmed that it will be moving towards a “four season model”, and offer activities that can be done year round. It will no longer offer downhill skiing as an activity.
Activities are set to include:
Zip-line biking
Rail sledging
Inflatable tube rides
Hiking and biking trails
“The site will remain open all year round, with a range of leisure activities and restaurants,” the press release continued. “We are already working on the necessary adaptations.”
It said that there would be a beginners’ “ski initiation area that will be in place during snowy periods”, but no proper downhill pistes.
Criticism
Not everyone has welcomed the announcement.
One worker at the resort, whose business is renowned for welcoming families, has launched a petition called “No to the closure of the Hautacam ski resort”. The petition warns that closing winter skiing will cause the local economy to suffer, and has called for measures to be put in place to prevent this.
Written by a “worried shopkeeper”, it states that “the Hautacam ski resort is part of the valley's winter economy…and is part of our valley's heritage”.
At the time of writing, the petition has gathered 1,245 signatures.
One comment from a signatory reads: “It is unacceptable that there are plans to close this station…It is not as if it is not popular – quite the contrary.”
Others have highlighted why they like the station, citing lower prices and accessibility.
One said it was a “human-sized resort with affordable prices” that is “ideal for families”, while another said that it was “the only station that is accessible in terms of access, visitor numbers and prices”.
“Don't kill off the local businesses and this winter sport, which has become a real elitist empire in other ski areas,” they said. “Please allow low-income households to enjoy this sport and local heritage.”
In response, the authorities have said they still want to “defend this remarkable and iconic site” and denied that the new era would be the “end” of the resort.
Instead, they said they want to “build a new Hautacam with a new look”, to ensure that the “magnificent resort remains alive and continues to fulfil its role as an accessible, fun and welcoming family destination for all”.
Other resorts suffering
Hautacam is not the only mid-altitude resort to have suffered from a lack of snow in recent years.
The smallest ski resort in Savoie, Notre-Dame-du-Pré, which is located between 1,300 and 1,500 metres above sea level in the Tarentaise Valley (Vanoise Massif), also recently announced that it had finished its last-ever winter season, due to significant financial losses over years of poor snowfall.
The ski resort of Métabief (Doubs), the largest in the Jura mountains, also closed five of its ski lifts and 30% of its ski area this winter, due to a lack of snow.
