Environment

One idea being tested on several glaciers around the world in recent years has been to use snowmaking to create a layer of artificial snow in an effort to stop melting and even rebuild glaciers. However results of a study into using snowmaking on the Morteratsch glacier which has been running for two years in south-eastern Switzerland have found that while the process can slow melting, it does not stop it, nor does it stabilise the thawing glacier as a whole. In recent years glacial ice has more and more often been exposed to the direct heat of the summer sun as the ‘protective layer’ of winter snow is quickly melted off the ice during the spring. The darker ice…

Italy’s Val Gardena is working to cut CO2 emissions with both short and long-term goals. The famous South Tyrol ski resort, with a commitment to sustainability that has now been confirmed with GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) certification, has targeted what’s been identified as the largest source of CO2 emissions in the province: transport. More than 40% of fossil fuel emissions is mostly caused by private cars, which in turn results in heavy traffic, especially at peak  times of the ski season. Val Gardena’s goals, by 2026, include creating a mobility centre which will develop projects for car-free and accessible connections. The targets include reducing traffic on mountain passes (Gardena Pass and Sella Pass) by 20%; increasing arrival on public…

Protect Our Winter (POW) have used the global focus on the current bi-annual Alpine World Skiing championships in Meribel and Courchevel to call on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to do much more is the fight against climate change. The group, which has grown over the past two decades into the global snow-sports community’s main advocacy body in fighting the climate emergency, presented the FIS with a letter calling on the world governing body of ski and snowboard competition to do much more. Hundreds of snow sports athletes including Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde are reported to have signed the letter as well as many other top racers like Italy’s Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino and previous…

The SkiStar group, which runs Scandinavia’s largest ski resorts has announced the a ski slope made from sugar cane will be a new attraction this summer at their Sälen resort. Sugar cane can be used to produce a type of bioplastic called polylactic acid (PLA), which is a biodegradable and compostable material. The process involves converting the sugar from sugar cane into lactic acid, which is then polymerized to create PLA. “We want to get more people moving and to be able to offer an active and relaxing holiday all year round. We want more people to enjoy and access the amazing Scandinavian mountain environment even in summer. Previous years have also taught us that summer brings an increasing interest…

Morzine has expanded the benefits of its recently introduced AlpinExpress Pass which rewards those who arrive by rail. This winter the AlpinExpress Pass gives skiers and snowboarders up to 10 % off ski passes as well as  ski hire, accommodation, and eating out with its wide range of partners including boutique hotel The Farmhouse, local brewery Bec Jaune, welcoming café Satellite Coffee, and transfer organisation Skiidy Gonzales. The pass was created by a group of businesses in the French resort who have got together to promote environmental awareness under the name Montagne Verte, offering a wide range of discounts and benefits to those who arrive by train rather than plane. There are two train stations near Morzine, both served by…

The Klosters-Madrisa Bergbahnen lift company AG has announced that it will be building new photovoltaic systems on the roofs of its Madrisa-Alp and Schaffürggli chairlifts. “The topic of energy is currently occupying the mountain lift companies, especially in times like these, when electricity is becoming more and more expensive and scarce. We as a company have to rethink more and more and invest in technologies that make it possible to produce and secure resources more sustainably,” says Thomas Steinmann, CEO of Klosters-Madrisa Bergbahnen AG, “For this reason, Klosters-Madrisa Bergbahnen AG is particularly determined to produce more and more of the energy it consumes, doing so in an environmentally friendly manner in the future.” The new solar energy plant will produce…