How are changing snow conditions impacting skiing and Alpine properties?
Our analytics team identify the most resilient slopes across the French and Swiss Alps.
06 November 2023
have mapped ski areas over 2,000 metres with north-facing slopes across key French and Swiss resorts to better understand which resorts are going to be more resilient in the long-term.
While resorts such as Gstaad, Zermatt and Chamonix rank highly, it鈥檚 not all about altitude. A lower altitude dual season resort with north-facing grassy slopes, such as Villars-sur-Ollon, can prove more snow-sure than a higher altitude resorts with south-facing slopes.
Temperature, snowfall reliability, not to mention the numerous micro-climates that exist across the Alps, can lead to significant differences across relatively small distances.
Ski resort resilience
Below you can see the rankings by percentage of north-facing slopes in the Alps.
How are ski resorts becoming more resilient?
Linking up:
Several resorts such as those in Portes du Soleil and Four Valleys are linking up to offer multi-pass access, creating larger ski domains giving skiers access to more pistes. The Portes du Soleil grants access to 12 resorts across both France and Switzerland.
Following the science:
The Compagnie du Mont-Blanc is working with scientists to produce snow forecasts for the next three decades. Rocks will be removed and new grass planted, which keeps snow intact longer, on the lower slopes.
Investing in green tech:
Most resorts have adopted renewable energy to power ski lifts and snow cannons in some capacity. Solar energy is now a staple on public infrastructure, and electric buses the norm in resorts such as Verbier and 痴补濒-诲鈥橧蝉è谤别. Gstaad has a waste centre in the valley that supplies heating for over half of the resort.
Greener fuel:
The Compagnie des Alpes has committed to converting all of its 130 snow groomers to HVO fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil manufactured from renewable and sustainable waste). Remaining carbon emissions will be stored in 鈥渃arbon sinks鈥� created through reforestation.
Environmentally-friendly resorts
In France, 22 resorts have been awarded the green snowflake, a symbol of a strong commitment to environmentally sustainable initiatives. Resorts are measured against 20 environmental and social criteria. Overseen by the Mountain Riders Association, resorts are audited and categorised by an independent committee.
Top five ranking resorts
1. Chamonix Valley
2. Morzine 鈥� Avoriaz
3. Megève
4. 痴补濒-诲鈥橧蝉è谤别
5. Combloux
Our reveals that 59% of respondents say they are concerned about the impact of climate change on the Alps. A further 72% of respondents say that the resilience of a ski resort influences their decision where to buy.
Furthermore, 49% say that energy efficiency of a home is important to them with just under a third of respondents indicating that they would be willing to pay a premium for an Alpine home with a high energy efficiency rating.
