ABONDANCE, France:
Muddy slopes, slushy peaks, unused lifts — this town in the French Alps is living out the nightmare of many a ski resort
in a century scientists say is doomed to keep getting warmer.
The city council of Abondance —
its name a cruel reminder of the generous snowfall it once enjoyed — voted last month 9-6 to shut down the ski station that has been its economic raison d'etre for more than 40 years.
The reason: not enough snow.
Abondance is
the French Alps' first ski station to fall apparent victim to global warming. It will almost certainly not be the last...
The Alps as a whole, which pull in about 70 million tourists every year primarily for winter sports,
are "particularly sensitive" to climate change, according to a study last winter by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
It calls climate change a serious threat to Alpine ski resorts and the regional economies that depend on them.
The most recent World Cup ski circuit was badly hit by lack of snow, with several races in the Alps — even at high altitudes — called off.
In Switzerland,
melting permafrost has forced several companies to take technical measures to ensure their stations don't fall off the mountain.
Last week, a commercial court in Lyon put the Transmontagne company, which operates mid-altitude resorts in France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia,
under bankruptcy protection for the next six months. Warming weather is seen as a key reason for its financial woes.
Abondance's troubles are
alarming towns in the surrounding valleys.
Homeowners fear a crash in housing prices. Neighboring
La Chappelle-d'Abondance is considering changing its name to dissociate itself from the shutting station.
Abondance Mayor Serge Cettour-Meunier fears that the closure of his station is the start of a troubling trend.
"Skiing is again becoming a sport for the rich," since only elite high-altitude resorts will have sufficient snowfall, he said...
The OECD report said warming in the Alps in recent years has been roughly
three times the global average...
Skiers who once frequented Abondance are likely to head to larger, higher stations elsewhere in the French Alps.
But even some large, high stations in Switzerland have already resorted to artificial snow in recent years.
For smaller stations like Abondance,
snow-sprayers are not a viable option since they require a minimal snow cover, and the high temperatures melt any snow fast...
The regional council for the Haute Savoie region
refused the mayor's request for aid, deeming the station no longer profitable.
The news of the closure
has hit hard in this town that has revolved around the ski station since 1964. Sporting good stores and restaurants specializing in local cheese dominate the town's main street.
"The mayor made a courageous, realistic and calm decision," said retired dairy farmer Andre Gagneux.
Restaurant owner Marie-Jane Teninge, 61, disagreed.
"I am skeptical about global warming. It's just a matter of cycles," she said, adding that she was ready to pay more taxes to keep the station open.
