With good snowfall in early December, 2023 it seemed like nordic ski areas were off to a good start compared to the previous winter. That was not counting on the weather. Torrential rain to 2500… 3000 meters at times followed by a January heatwave trashed the snow below 1500-1700 meters.
Most of France’s pure play nordic ski areas have developed on flattish meadows in the 1000-1300 meter range with alpine ski areas, sometimes with limited nordic skiing available, on steeper terrain above 1400 meters. This has meant that while the bigger alpine resorts have been able to run more or less normally it has been a disaster for many cross country areas.
Cross country skiing at Megeve
This is the second year in a row that nordic skiing has been badly affected by the weather. Last season at least saw snow cover and coolish temperatures from the end of January to early March during the vital winter holiday period.
Moises in the Haute-Savoie and situated at 1100 meters is typical. There is not a cm of snow on the runs. The resort has only managed to open for 14 days in total. The director Romain Merlot said “We have a bit of cash in hand but if we have another season like this one, well it will become very difficult for us financially”. Like many nordic areas Moises is run by an association, when the snow is there they only need to fire up the piste basher and the pistes can open. However they need qualified staff to secure and maintain the area.
Léo Guilbert of the umbrella Nordic France group says that resorts can open with even a small snowfall, “We can prepare trails with a snow scooter that drags a small roller, like that we can prepare good runs with as little as 8-10cm of snow.”
Good conditions at altitude at Champagny
Today, at the end of the winter school holiday period the Haute-Savoie has 13 of its 22 sites closed. 8 are partially open. Things are a little brighter in the Savoie, 11 out of 15 sites are open In the Isere, with 24 sites only a few have managed to open most of their trails through the winter. The Vercors saw some skiing in January, the Foulee Blanche race managed to run this year but very little is open today. The Col de Porte, at 1336m and normally a snow magnet, had to shut its trails mid February. It is worse in the Jura, just 2 of the 38 sites survived through February. The Arcon round of the French cross country ski championships had to be held on rollerskis! In the Vosges there is one very partial opening at la Bresse out of 9 areas and nearly all of the Massif Central’s ski areas were closed until a storm blew through on the 3rd of March, enabling some 11 areas to open for the first time in 2024.
Not surprisingly it is the high altitude ski areas that have fared better. As Léo Guilbert commented “there are very good conditions at altitude at les Saisies, Bessans, Naves or even le Grand Revard”. Praz de Lys Sommand at 1500 meters has 21 of its 30 trails open, the Plateau de Beauregard (1740 meters) has all its trails open, Peisey-Vallandry (1650 meters) has all 21 pistes open, les Saisies (1650 meters) is nearly fully open with 29/31 pistes, Champagny-en-Vanoise (1500m) fully open, Chamrousse (1650 meters) managed to open the upper half of the plateau d’Arselle.
Lower down, resorts are already thinking about the future. Roman Merlot is resigned “it is a certainty we have to accept. We have a project for artificial snow cover with aid from the region, but it doesn’t make much sense. You need negative temperatures for that, but it was rarely below freezing this winter. We have to face facts, we have to reinvent ourselves”. The ski area of Gap Bayard has already abandoned snow making: 60,000 euros of expenditure to create a 2km loop for 30,000 euros of ski pass sales.
It seems that altitude is the key and for cross country skiing to continue the hunt is on for high altitude plateaus. Orcières in the Oisans massif has zero cross country skiing currently open. To continue to offer the activity the resort has created a 2km loop at 2300 meters on the Rocherousse plateau, accessible by gondola lift. The high altitude certainly develops the red blood cells and skiers appreciate the views and the outstanding mountain scenery despite the presence of ski lifts.
Plateau de Cenise
Finding new sites outside of already developed ski areas may prove problematic. In the Haute Savoie the Cenise plateau at 1700 meters is considered suitable for nordic activities. It is accessible from both the Grand Bornand and Cluses. However, protestors are already mobilizing against the project in a zone classed Natura 2000 and a Protected Nature Reserve which is home to a number of protected species including the bearded vulture and black grouse. The protestors say the plateau is already very busy with walkers in the summer and snowshoers in the winter. A Nordic ski area would seriously disturb the eco systems, they claim, especially as the project includes the construction of a ski lift to bring skiers to the plateau. The nearby alpine ski resort of Mont Saxonnex permanently shut its Morsullaz chair this season and has an annual deficit of over 100K€ and would be interested in developing new touristic activities.
Local politician, Loïc Hervé, says that “the department already has 29 nordic areas, we need to consolidate those, moving to a year round model doesn’t justify every project. Cenise is an absolutely exceptional natural site, and it's best to say straight away: no study, no project, no development, locals have had enough of more more development."
The Haute Savoie launched a “Nordic Plan” with a budget of 50 million euros in 2021 with the aim of making the department the number one destination in France. “A nordic ski area is some markers you put in place in the winter and remove in the spring and an electric piste basher, those who oppose the project are doing so for the sake of opposing” claims Martial Saddier, former president of the department. With the majority of the department's cross country areas remaining closed this winter one wonders where the department will spend it's money?