Responsible skiing vacations

Downhill destruction makes us cross

Due to climate change, some resorts are being developed at higher altitudes, which just moves the problem to higher up the mountain, rather than higher up the protection priority list. Indeed, the United Nations predicts that Alpine snowlines could rise by 300 metres in the next fifty years.* Many downhill ski slopes are graded and, in order to do this, trees are removed and slopes are flattened. The addition of large pylons and ski lifts creates further environmental scarring. This is not always the case, however, with more sustainable resorts using a flattening method that lifts the top layer of topsoil like ‘turf’ and then relays it, keeping seeds and insect habitats intact. With the surge of interest in cross country skiing, people have been known to partake in illegal ‘glading’: cutting down trees themselves to access pristine landscapes. Another good reason to travel with a responsible vacation company, of course, which will adhere to excellent environmental practices. As a further consequence of climate change the use of snow cannons in downhill resorts has increased. It takes 220,000 gallons of water to cover an acre, which then freeze and fall to the ground as snow. Sometimes the water comes from manmade reservoirs, the rest from rivers and local drinking supplies. With 80 million tourists visiting the Alps every year, for example, compared with a resident population of around 16 million, that’s a lot of adrenaline junkies’ habits to feed. In addition, there are often higher levels of minerals and nutrients used in the creation of artificial snow which then leach back into the soil when it melts – altering the growth of native plants. There are examples of good practice, however, such as Austria, where water has to come from pure water.