French ski station opens for first time in seven years - thanks to snow
It is the first time the resort has had enough snowfall since 2018
Some resorts in Alpes-Maritimes (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) have become particularly vulnerable to lack of snowfall
Dmytro Surkov/Shutterstock
A ski resort in southeast France has opened for winter skiing this year for the first time in seven years, after failing to receive enough snow until now.
L’Audibergue in Alpes-Maritimes - which is just an hour’s drive from the Côte d'Azur, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - has not been able to open for winter sports since 2018 as a result of a lack of snow.
However, this year, it has received enough snowfall, including 30 cm over the past few days.
Read also: Snow on way with new cold spell set to hit France this week
“It is quite something when you get the first slope in seven years,” said one happy skier at the resort to FranceInfo.
Short-notice slopes
The resort, which is at an altitude of 1,650 metres has suffered from unpredictable snowfall in recent years which has been blamed on global warming.
Unpredictable snow cover means that workers are not always sure if or when the slopes will open. It means that workers must be hired at short notice when the pistes are able to operate.
One first-aider, Millie Fleury, told FranceInfo that they had needed to rush to hire 10 people “at the last minute” once the resort opening was confirmed.
In the absence of predictable snow L’Audibergue has had to diversify its range of snow-free activities to tempt tourists to visit year-round.
Read also: Lack of snow hangs over school holiday ski season in Pyrénées
Read more: ‘Face the reality’: France ‘must prepare’ for +4C global warming
It is not the only one; estimates suggest that by 2050 many large resorts in the southern Alps will have to diversify away from winter sports towards summer activities and alternative tourist attractions in order to survive.
At the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, the biggest ski station in the Pyrenees - Grandvalira, in Andorra - was forced to delay its planned opening date due to a lack of snow.
However, colder weather and increased snowfall since the start of February has enabled more resorts to open lately, including Laguiole, Brameloup, Hautacam, and Alti Aigoual.
Read also: Good news for skiers in south of France as four resorts are open
