La transition du ski à l’après ski

Go to the Mont d'Or massif, in the heart of Jura. Here, you don't have to climb very high to get to the Métrabief station, which peaks between 900 and 1400 meters above sea level. At this altitude, we are in the middle of the mountains, like many French resorts, which for many years have been able to enjoy an abundance of snow. But with climate change, these areas can no longer look to the future in such a serene way, and are forced to face the problem: skiing is on the decline, and will soon no longer be able to represent the economic lung at medium altitudes. To face this fate head-on, Métabief, one of the main resorts in the Mont d'Or Massif, decided to take the plunge, by becoming the first European ski area to consider après-ski.

This desire to make a difference does not come from nowhere. Back in 2016, Métrabief had its back against the wall, the difficult years kept coming and to be able to bounce back, it was essential to invest in new ski lifts. Olivier Erard, director and head of transition engineering at the resort, tells us: “We had difficulty amortizing our previous investments in artificial snow, it was impossible to take even more risks by financing new ski lifts, we had to make a choice”.

Before giving up skiing for good, you have to be sure that the snow will not come back. To get to the bottom of it, the station carried out a study based on data from DRIAS (Giving access to French Regionalized Climate Scenarios for the Impact and Adaptation of our Societies and Environment) “the verdict came true from the first models: within 10 to 15 years, we will no longer be able to count on skiing”. We are in 2018, Métabief is beginning its metamorphosis, by implementing transition engineering on the station.

Giving up skiing, good idea! But this decision will inevitably affect the daily lives of local professionals. To ensure that no one is left behind, Olivier Erard declares that he “Started with a field survey with the help of technicians and trackers, jobs that will inevitably be impacted by such a change.” Thus, the transition can take place with those who populate the station, who as the station evolves, will see their profession metamorphose.

Being a pioneer necessarily implies the absence of examples to follow. At the moment, it is difficult to say what will replace skiing as the economic heart of the resort. According to Olivier Erard, “Skiing will probably not have only one replacement and the perfect solution does not yet exist.” Enthusiastic, he nevertheless declares that “many entrepreneurs are beginning to be interested in the new spaces that such an operation would free up.”

Although today, many resorts offer new outdoor activities, Olivier Erard wants to make things clear: “Diversification should not be confused with profound change, the real transition will be when skiing no longer represents the heart of the economic model”. Because beyond giving up the sensation of sliding, this transition will have financial repercussions, because the substitutes for skiing will not be as lucrative. “Even if it is not the primary objective, the abandonment of alpine skiing is a form of decline.” Indicates Olivier Erard “It is a term that we use little because it is scary, but it corresponds well to reality”.

This decrease, even presented differently, creates a new challenge: that of involving and motivating communities and public or private institutions, into the unknown. In Métabief, it is time to write what Olivier Erard calls a “masterplan”, a document that will present the station's objectives for 2040-2050. So far, the first significant installation is a 710-meter-long rail sled on which vacationers can come and have fun in any season. The first symbol of a metamorphosis that will take several years, this sled will soon be joined by other infrastructures.

‍