A preserved domain | Portes du Soleil

GATES OF THE SUN

Commit

for the environment

The Portes du Soleil resorts fully adhere to the 16 eco-commitments set out in 2020 by Domaine Skiable de France

The French mountains are facing an upheaval for which we are all

accountable.

Long perceived as threatening during the history of mankind, the mountain was gradually “tamed” by man, then, for a tiny part (1% of the surface of our massifs), developed thanks to technology, allowing it to welcome in “resorts” and villages millions of holidaymakers in search of outdoor recreation in a grandiose natural environment.

Today nature is calling us back. Global warming is inexorably melting our glaciers, eternal snows are disappearing, rocks are breaking off in whole sections, snowfall is experiencing significant variations.

The times of denial and fine speeches without follow-up are over. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in our massifs and valleys depend on it. Our responsibility today is to act. In all directions. All together. The mountains deserve our efforts.

©Sylvain Cochard Panorama Untitled3 06072019 Web|Sylvain Cochard

Les Portes du Soleil

nature reserve

to protect

For us, ski area operators, this move to action is collective, through a roadmap adopted by all members of the profession, whether private or public, whether they have a turnover of a few thousand euros or several tens of millions, in all massifs.

This approach translates into sixteen eco-commitments covering climate issues through an action plan aimed at saving energy and gradually decarbonizing the business to achieve zero emissions by 2037. It includes measures to better manage, save and share the water we use to produce artificial snow in order to compensate for the variability of snowfall. It provides for investments to protect biodiversity and a proactive strategy to preserve landscapes, without forgetting the issue of waste, induced by tourism activity.

These eco-commitments constitute a foundation on which we wish to co-construct a sustainable development strategy with all the other players in our territories: local elected officials, ski schools, hoteliers and accommodation providers and all the socio-professionals, transporters, environmental associations and citizens whether they are residents or holidaymakers, because we all have a role to play.

Our goal is ambitious: to succeed in the ecological transition of our territories, by consolidating our links with the living, by evolving our economic models, by contributing to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants and the experience offered to our customers.

“The mountain, just like our planet, is our common good!”

A membership in the

16 eco-commitments

of DSF

Climate and Energy
Water and agriculture
Biodiversity
Landscapes
Waste

Hydrogen groomer project
Support the emergence of hydrogen groomers and promote the deployment in mountain territories of decarbonated hydrogen sources
Deployment of carbon footprinting in all ski areas
Under 3 years, all ski areas will have carried out their carbon footprint
Eco-driving of grooming machines
Within 5 years, all grooming machine drivers will have been trained in eco-driving
Eco-driving of teleported lifts
Within 2 years, all chairlift, gondola and cable car drivers will have been trained in eco-driving (the implementation of an automatic eco-driving system also addresses this issue)
Rational use of ski lifts
Outside of peak activity periods, closure of redundant ski lifts as long as this does not impact the number of open runs

Water storage
Objective: smooth out withdrawal over time by storing water as soon as annual snow production requires more than 100.000m3 of water
Water savings
Operators whose fleet of grooming machines exceeds 6 grooming machines commit to measuring the snow height at different points on the slopes to optimize the volumes produced over the season
Support for pastoralism and water sharing
In drought situations, ski areas with a water stock share the resource with livestock farmers in their territories, and for fire reserve or drinking water needs if necessary.

Ecological inventory
Each operator will have within 5 years an inventory of environmental knowledge of the natural areas concerned (fauna, flora, wetlands, wintering areas, breeding areas, etc.). This inventory is updated in the sectors where work is held.
Protection of mountain galliformes
Within 5 years, signaling of 100% of the sections of the ski lift cables likely to be an obstacle to the flight of large birds and in particular of the Black Grouse (Alps) and Capercaillie (Pyrenees)

Revegetation after construction
Commitment to 100% revegetation after earthwork in grassy/alpine areas
Use of endemic seeds
Commitment to use endemic seeds for revegetation work
Removal of obsolete facilities
Deployment of a strategy to remove abandoned lifts starting in summer 2021, to reach

Removal of waste in natural areas
Organization of at least one collection operation each year at each resort/site
Customer awareness
Awareness-raising for skiers and hikers on waste reduction at 100% of resorts/sites, in partnership with associations1

And what do you do

concretely

in the Portes du Soleil?

MORZINE-AVORIAZ & CHÂTELGreen Snowflake Responsible Tourism

The Green Snowflake is a labeling approach that guarantees the sustainable commitment of mountain tourist destinations. This approach is developed by the Mountain Riders association to accompany territories in their transition and give mountain lovers a clear vision of committed tourist destinations. Choosing a Green Snowflake resort for your vacations means supporting responsible tourism!

www.flocon-vert.org

REGION TEETH OF THE SOUTHSlow Food Travel

International project to network sustainable food actors from field to plate. The slow food charter based on meeting and exchanging with farmers, cheesemakers,breeders, bakers and winemakers, has been signed by 12 partners in the Régions Dents du Midi territory, all committed to promoting the gastronomic heritage of the Vallée d’Illiez.

www.regiondentsdumidi.ch

MORZINE-AVORIAZ & LES GETSClimSnow

Partnership with CLIMSNOW allowing the resort to quantify, at various timeframes, the reliability of snowmaking (natural groomed snow, with/without snowmaking), to evaluate temperature and snowmaking changes (reliability, variability), to quantify the impact of snow management techniques (grooming, snowmaking production). Using the information provided by CLIMSNOW, it is therefore possible to plan investment choices based on projections of the future state of the snowpack.

www.climsnow.com

Avoriaz 1800Solar energy

– 16 solar panels on the departure station of the TS of Chaux Fleurie on the Lindarets plateau

– Integrated and discreet installation for a limited visual impact

– Power of 6.6 kWp for an annual production of 6000 kWh

– Used for the operation of the TS & reinjected into the grid for other uses when it is stopped.

CHÂTELHousing & Energy

Energy retrofit of 5 city hall service buildings underway

– Duration → 5 years

– Goal → 50% energy savings by 2040

THE GETSEco-responsible wooden ski passes

“Tag-it” in a convenient CB format

– 40,000 passes per year issued to skiers and mountain bikers

– Goal → decrease plastic consumption

Portraits of enthusiasts

Inspire

of the Portes du Soleil

Whether they are sportsmen, talents, guides or craftsmen, discover their adventures in the heart of the Portes du Soleil.

All of these extraordinary personalities have in common that they live in the Portes du Soleil area and know how to talk about the love of this area, which is an inexhaustible source of inspiration that is always changing with the seasons.

Cabinetmaker specializing in skis, speed-riding adept, yoga teacher or bell founder. What does the bottle matter, as long as you get drunk. You’ll see through this series of portraits that there are 1001 ways to experience the Portes du Soleil.

So let yourself be inspired ….