France The ski resort in the town of La Sambuy was forced to close due to lack of snow to serve tourists.
Winter is coming, but La Sambuy, a popular resort town near Mont Blanc in the Alps, is running out of snow to accommodate its visitors. Officials in the French town have decided to remove the ski lifts.
Global warming has shortened the winter snow season here to just a few weeks. With so little snow, the town has been forced to suspend services. "Thank you for the wonderful years before," said Mayor La Sambuy.
The ski lift at La Sambuy has stopped operating. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo
Mayor Jacques Dalex said in previous years the town had snowfall from early December to the end of March. But last winter there were only four weeks of snowfall, and not much.
This year, the same thing happened, leaving the resort open for less than five weeks between January and February. Dalex said the town was struggling to keep the resort running, which costs about 500,000 euros a year. Maintaining the cable car alone costs 80,000 euros a year.
La Sambuy is a small resort with three lifts and several ski runs up to 1,850m, catering for both professionals and amateurs. It is popular with families looking for a simple and affordable skiing experience.
When planning for the winter, the town council decided to close the resort, which opened in 2016. Although the ski infrastructure was removed, residents hoped that visitors would still come. In addition to skiing, the area is known as a hiking destination, with many outdoor activities such as exploring nature and playing sports.
The French Alps village of Saint-Firmin will dismantle its ski lifts in 2022 due to dwindling snow. Photo: AFP
La Sambuy is not the only ski resort in France facing a crisis. Last year, Saint-Firmin, another small ski resort in the Alps, removed its ski lifts as the winter season shortened and there was less snow than in previous years.
Mountain Wilderness, an environmental group, says it has dismantled 22 ski lifts in France since 2001. It estimates there are still 106 abandoned ski lifts at 59 sites across the country.
In a report published in August by the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, 53% of more than 2,200 European ski resorts surveyed were likely to "face high snow risk" if the global average temperature warmed by 2 degrees Celsius compared to the past.
Dalex said ski resorts were finding it increasingly difficult to operate, with many “forced to adapt” to the new climate. “France’s winter sports resorts are all affected by global warming, especially those at an average altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 metres,” said the mayor of La Sambuy.
Anh Minh (According to CNN )
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