Back in 2024, it looked like Alpe du Grand Serre was going to close for good. In October 2024, the Communauté de communes de la Matheysine (a local municipality) announced that it was ending funding of Alpe du Grand Serre. Various international media outlets reported that the French ski resort would shut down rather than operate during the 2024-25 season.
This news wasn’t entirely surprising, as the ski resort had later openings and a lack of natural snowfall in recent years. Following the various new headlines that stated that it would shut down, donors came to the rescue. A crowdfunding campaign of nearly €200,000, along with funds from other donors, led them to reopen for the 2024-25 season.
By all accounts, the 2024-25 ski season was a success. Consistent enough snowfall led to them being open during the pivotal Christmas week. They then proceeded into their summer season without issue. Their summer activities include mountain biking and hiking trails.
Despite these successes, the ski resort seems like it could be knocking on heaven’s door again. The Connexion reports that on June 24th, the Communauté de communes de la Matheysine (CCM) and SATA Group (the operators of the ski resort) announced that they plan to close the ski resort for good. In the press release, they state that they “do not have the appropriate and sufficient financial resources to build a new four-season economic model.”
However, not all local leaders are on board with this decision. The following statement was shared by the ski resort:
“The mayor of La Morte and the municipal council are appalled by the CCM’s decision […and] assure us that they will do their utmost to continue seeking alternative solutions to keep the resort and the village alive.”
A meeting is scheduled for July 10th to decide the fate of the ski resort. It’ll be interesting to see whether the community can pull off another miracle or if the curtains will be officially closed.
Some lower-elevation ski areas in Europe have closed in recent years due to a lack of snowfall and rising temperatures. While Alpe du Grand Serre wasn’t a ski resort that many knew about, some fear it’s a sign of things to come for the bigger resorts. If it ceases operations, it would be the largest ski resort in the Alps to permanently close.
Image/Video Credits: Russell Standring, Alpe du Grand Serre, Pierre Novat ©
