Massif Central, France โ Is a popular French ski resort closing for good? It’s what locals are fearing following the announcement that it won’t be operating this winter.
The Connexion reported in October that the Chalmazel ski resort wouldn’t be operating this winter. This is due to the need to renovate aging equipment and a deficit of up to โฌ450,000. After this announcement, locals launched a valiant campaign to get it reopened, including a petition to keep the mountain open. That appears to be all for naught, as last month, the Loire department confirmed it wouldn’t operate this winter.
โThis is a painful but responsible decision. The department can no longer ignore the combined impact of finances and the climate. Preserving safety, protecting public finances, and preparing for the future are our primary duties,โ said Georges Ziegler, President of Loire, in October.
Chalmazel is by no means a large ski resort, especially considering the behemoths that exist in Europe’s ski industry. However, it’s decently sized with a modern lift network. The ski area features 15 pistes (12 km overall) and 8 lifts (including a bubble chairlift). It had visitation of up to 200,000 people per year. Chalamzel also featured snowmaking on 4 km worth of trails. In the summer, it offers activities such as biking, hiking trails, disc golf, and more.
In response, the Chalmazel Ski Club created a petition to convince the government to operate the ski resort. As we all know, the most effective way to change someone’s decision is to create a Change.com petition. You can check out the petition here.
Let’s hope that this is a hiatus, and not a permanent closure.
