Sustainable travel in the Alps
For many in the ski industry, climate change is the elephant in the room. A decade ago, you could pretty much guarantee there would be snow in the Alpine resorts in January and February, but snowfall is increasingly unreliable. Sometimes even snow cannons are struggling to make snow as temperatures are unseasonably warm and the water they use just won’t freeze. The only way to be sure of the powder is to go higher in altitude, moving up above the shifting snowline.
There are resorts which are making hay whilst it lasts, but burying their heads in the sand; and others taking a more proactive approach, recognising their own contribution to climate change and working hard to mitigate that impact. Many of those living and working within the Portes du Soleil ski area in France and Switzerland, for example, regard themselves as custodians of the mountains.
Portes du Soleil, and particularly the resorts of Les Gets and Morzine-Avoriaz, are a valuable case study in what can be done. The ski area has a significant overlap with the boundaries of the Chablais UNESCO Global Geopark, a vast protected area which preserves 245 million year old geological landscape. The geopark is a place of extreme natural beauty but also of great scientific interest, and UNESCO is quite prescriptive about the types of human activities which can happen here, and the way in which they must be managed. This has given the region’s ski industry a shared focus and impetus to implement theories of responsible, sustainable tourism in a real world setting.
As the ski industry’s biggest environmental issue – 50-70% of the total emissions – is skiers’ tendency to fly, there is a collective effort to encourage trains and other more environmentally friendly forms of travel instead. Les Gets’ official tourism website recommends options such as buses and car pooling, with the relevant instructions and links. Morzine-Avoriaz has developed a helpful platform to identify the least carbon-intensive route to your destination, and with the AlpinExpress Pass you will get a discount from local businesses if you arrive by train. Package tour operator SkiWeekends includes group transfers from Geneva free of charge, using electric vehicles whenever they can.
This collective effort to incentivise positive behavioural change whilst keeping things easy for tourists extends to local journeys, too. There are free shuttle buses between resorts and at certain times of the year, a child-friendly road train, too. Morzine has been awarded Accueil Vélo (Bikes Welcome) status, and there are growing numbers of dedicated bike paths and e-bike charging points if your legs aren’t quite up to tackling the mountain slopes unassisted.
Local tourist boards and tour operators are steering tourists towards low impact activities which not only enhance their vacation but teach them something about the mountain ecosystems, too. Afterall, people are much more likely to want to protect something once they understand how and why it is under threat. One of the highlights of a trip to Les Gets is the Alta Lumina, a night time sound and light trail through the forest. The spectacle tells the simple story of a hot air balloonist and his adventures, but the real appeal is that the Alta Lumina encourages guests to look closely at the forest around them, listening to its sounds and appreciating small details. The darkness and the trees are not something to be feared, but to enjoy.
In daytime, many of the activities on offer are man- or animal-powered. Les Gets publishes a trail guide for snowshoeing and Nordic walking, enabling you to explore some of the remotest and quietest parts of the Alps. If you are new to these activities, you can book a half- or full-day tour which includes equipment hire and a picnic lunch, and going with a guide also means you will learn much more about the flora and fauna around you, from wild chamois goats to wolves. For something faster paced, you can join a team of sled dogs and race across the snow, and if you do want to try snowmobiling, Les Gets has an eco-friendly electric fleet.
The Alps’ wooden chalet architecture is idyllic and famous around the world, but keeping such buildings warm on cold nights can be a challenge. There is a need to invest in energy-saving measures and to reduce overall consumption and waste. Chalet Marjorie, SkiWeekends’ new property in Les Gets, is unusually well insulated and has been fitted with a large air source heat pump. The energy costs for its first season (2023/24) are so far around one-third of those for older chalets of a comparable size, so there is a financial incentive for using green architecture and technologies, too.
Book a catered stay at Chalet Marjorie with SkiWeekends. Prices start from £410 per person for a three-night stay.
Sophie Ibbotson
