A ski resort in the French Alps has closed its doors forever due to a global warming-induced lack of snow that reduced its ski season to just a few weeks.
La Sambuy, a small family resort not far from the gigantic Trois Vallées ski area in France, was only able to open for a month last season.
According to the mayor of La Sambuy, Jacques Dalex, the resort “used to have snow practically from December 1 to March 30,” reports cnn.
But during the 2022-2023 season there were only four weeks of snow “and even then, it was little snow” that is, “stones and rocks appeared on the track quite quickly,” he noted.
Operating cable cars (at a cost of US$85,000 a year) for such a short period is simply not economically viable, according to Dalex.
With barely enough snow to open for a few weeks in January and February 2023, the resort was losing about $530,000 a year.
The small resort had a cable car and three ski lifts that accessed four black runs, three red runs, two blue runs and one green beginner run.
Although it was small, it was popular with families who wanted to experience the Alps without having to shell out hundreds of dollars for a cable car pass; a seven-day pass was priced at just $103.
The La Sambuy town council decided to dismantle the snow sports infrastructure for the next ski season.
On Sept. 10, the resort’s website showed a notice saying it would be “closed for good.”
“Thank you all for this last summer 2023 season and for all the wonderful past years we shared together,” reads the message.
The town still hopes to attract non-ski visitors, Dalex said. He added that it is a place to “discover and protect nature, go hiking and play sports if possible.”
Translation of Michelle Padilla
