Unpacked: Sustainable ski

There’s nothing like skiing in the freezing white mountains with the sound of silence loud in your ears. Being active outdoors has every kind of mental health benefit and you’re up close to nature at her most beautiful. But with Europe warming and winters shortening, skiing is facing a crisis. 

Ski resorts are increasingly at risk from the trend of warmer and wetter winters. The European State of the Climate Summary is an in-depth report that provides climate monitoring funded by the EU and the 2022 publication is a sobering read:

“Europe has been warming faster than any other continent in recent decades, with temperatures increasing at twice the global average rate.”

You won’t have missed the images of brown mountain slopes streaked with dirty grey snow last winter. In 2022, across much of central and southern Europe, there were up to 20 fewer winter snow days (those with at least 1cm snow depth). The Italian Alps were reported to be among the worst affected areas, with spring snowfall as much as 60% below average.

Is skiing on a slippery slope?

The ski season in the European Alps is said to typically produce €28bn in revenue, almost seven percent of the overall value of the EU’s tourism market. But ski resort infrastructure, and particularly travel to and around resorts, is contributing to carbon emissions, and therefore, to global warming. 

Travel journalist and ski expert Mary Novakovitch shares with me:

“Ski resorts know that their days are numbered unless they do something to adapt to climate change. Resorts need to go beyond using renewable energy, which many ski resorts are now doing, and take a pragmatic approach by, for example, restructuring two lifts into one more efficient one to a high-altitude area (so less need for man made snow at lower altitude). There needs to be an acknowledgement that fewer resorts will be able to have extensive beginner areas at the foot of the resort as well as ski runs that go all the way back to the village.”

What about artificial snow?

It’s widely predicted that lower-altitude slopes (below around 1800–2000m) will soon have next to no snowfall, so perhaps it makes sense that many ski resorts are using snow making machines. But this short term strategy presents its own environmental (and economic) challenges. The process is water- and energy-intensive, putting pressure on local water resources and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The introduction of artificial snow can alter ecosystems, and impacts soil, vegetation and wildlife. A single snow cannon emits between 60-80 decibels, the equivalent of heavy traffic, which disturbs wildlife. Besides, sometimes it’s simply too warm for even man-made snow.

To avoid artificial snow laid down by cannons, opt to ski later in the season and look for north facing slopes (Tignes and Val d'Isère are both ideal).

The future of skiing

There are many ways for the ski industry to evolve so that it’s not contributing to warming the very mountains it’s dependent on:

Flight-free travel

Flight Free UK want to shift the norm away from aviation and tell me that “transport emissions contribute over half the impact of a ski holiday, so it makes sense that the most impactful thing we can all do is switch that flight for a train or coach”.

Green energy

Sunny St Moritz uses hundreds of solar panels to power some of its ski lifts – helped by wind turbines and Switzerland’s oldest hydroelectric power station – and Serre Chevalier was the first ski resort to produce its own electricity from three renewable energy sources: wind turbines, hydroelectricity and solar panels.

Car-free resorts

High-altitude Saas-Fee, which sits at the foot of Dom, Switzerland’s highest mountain, banned cars back in 1951. Zermatt is car free and has electric powered buses.

Locally-owned accommodation

Smaller, locally owned accommodation benefits local communities and has a smaller carbon footprint. Cosy, stylish L’Abri des Amis in Courmayeur uses certified raw materials and renewable energy whenever it can, and also relies on local producers to supply its kitchen.

Snowshoeing and cross country skiing

Far gentler than carving pistes through forests – and with far less infrastructure required – is simply snowshoeing or cross country skiing. At Zermatt, you can take the Gornergrat cog train up to Riffelalp for an exhilarating two-hour snowshoe hike through forests to Grünsee lake and across the glacier to Gant.

Eco-building

Ski resorts are incorporating sustainable materials and energy-efficient technologies in their buildings, reducing energy consumption and minimising waste. Green thinking was behind the recent thermal renovation of La Cachette in Arc 1600, where only local suppliers were used. They’ve also banned plastic bottles.

Habitat protection

Ski resorts are working with environmental organisations to protect local flora and fauna and limit deforestation (cleared ski slopes are better for the environment than graded ski runs, where everything is bulldozed). In Chamonix, construction work is banned during sensitive periods (hibernation, egg laying, reproduction and birthing) and reserves have been established to limit disturbance to wildlife (black grouse, deer and hares).

Rent don’t buy

Resorts are starting to realise that renting ski gear and clothes makes economic and environmental sense. Ski-Chic in Courchevel is a great example. If there isn’t a rental shop, contact the resort.

Photo by Rachel Mills