 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This is nectar to Whitegold
Expect him to swoop in shortly
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Wasn’t there already a SH thread for this exact subject?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There is a resort even closer to gap callled Ancelle which is going strong! It invested in artificial snow mind you
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Old Poma lifts and fixed grip chairs are often relatively accessible and therefore easier to remove than later infrastructure. They will have been installed by vehicles rather than helicopter and their Pylons are simply unbolted or the bolts are cut using a torch.
An 8m Poma pylon is relatively light at only 500kgs and the pylon arms are easy to unbolt and lower to the ground. It should be fairly easy to drag them downhill for removal.
Their scrap or second hand value should be enough to cover a lot of their cost of removal. Plenty of low ground pressure vehicles will be capable of dragging or carrying them away. The difficult bit is not their removal but their installation in the first place.
The lasting environmental damage from skiing infrastructure is from previous earth moving and the installation of large areas of concrete which cannot be recycled or reinstated viably. Disused overhead Cables need to be removed because they will kill low flying birds. If the land is not grazed intensively former pistes should quickly re vegetate, especially below 2000m.
communities already recognise the cultural value of former skiing infrastructure. It would be a mistake to eradicate all evidence. Recreational and commercial skiing in an important part of the story of the Alps and a recent consequence of the changing climate and other social changes. Hopefully someone is recording the story in an Historic Environment Record for posterity. Enough evidence should be left on site to trace the line of former lifts and pistes. Within our own lifetime recreational Skiing has become tangible heritage Worthy of recording, if not of conservation.
No doubt new books and field guides are being written to explore and explain the legacy of skiing archaeology. Eventually QR codes and interpretive boards will tell the story on site, in a similar way to castles, industrial and military monuments, land management and natural history.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 27-12-25 19:40; edited 1 time in total
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The sad thing is that all these small local resorts made skiing cheap & accessible to the masses.
The rising snow line is unfortunately going to make some real hidden gems unviable. As we lose such places the sport of skiing unfortunately becomes more gentrified, expensive and exclusive.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
The sad thing is that all these small local resorts made skiing cheap & accessible to the masses.
The rising snow line is unfortunately going to make some real hidden gems unviable. As we lose such places the sport of skiing unfortunately becomes more gentrified, expensive and exclusive. |
That is very true. The video you posted of some of the Bavarian areas demonstrates the point. These were small areas used mainly by locals, with the declining amounts of snow they are less viable for winter sports. The viable areas are further away and more expensive meaning far fewer people take up the sport.
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@Haggis_Trap, yes very true, sadly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Graukogel in Gastein shutting after this season till 2029! Then undecided if it will re start.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Been predicted on here for years.
Snow is being replaced by mud.
Ski now.
While you still can.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
The sad thing is that all these small local resorts made skiing cheap & accessible to the masses.
The rising snow line is unfortunately going to make some real hidden gems unviable. As we lose such places the sport of skiing unfortunately becomes more gentrified, expensive and exclusive. |
Surely this has to be one of the benefits of global warming, less of the masses and more of the well off gentrified types.
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You know it makes sense.
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| harvey13 wrote: |
| Graukogel in Gastein shutting after this season till 2029! Then undecided if it will re start. |
That’s interesting, I’ve been to Gastein for the last few trips and never actually skied Graukogel, in fact last January I don’t think it was open. I’ll make sure I ski it this time if it’s going to be the last chance.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yes we went to Gastein last new year for the 1st time and didn't make it there.No snow canons and not enough natural snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ski resort that used to be open a few days per season when utilities and wages were much lower realised it is no longer viable in the modern world.
There may well be a smidgen of global warming that has not helped, but these resorts were never really viable in the commercial world of 2025.
There’s plenty of stuff on the net re Mondole in Italy (which has had two metres or so this week) saying that it’s no longer viable as it will never get more than 70cm pa again. Ever.
Much of this is attitude of mind. If you’ve had enough you’re looking for an excuse to give up.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| harvey13 wrote: |
| Graukogel in Gastein shutting after this season till 2029! Then undecided if it will re start. |
That's really sad. I'd noticed it wasn't opening much and wondered if it would survive.
I had an amazing morning's skiing there in 2013. It doesn't look much on a piste map but the skiing was great, with an old world cup run.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I had no idea the link was closing, lovely runs down as well from the main Les Sybelles area and a superb bar/resto half way down. I hope the village can evolve and the free skiing thing works for them
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
The sad thing is that all these small local resorts made skiing cheap & accessible to the masses.
The rising snow line is unfortunately going to make some real hidden gems unviable. As we lose such places the sport of skiing unfortunately becomes more gentrified, expensive and exclusive. |
That is very true. The video you posted of some of the Bavarian areas demonstrates the point. These were small areas used mainly by locals, with the declining amounts of snow they are less viable for winter sports. The viable areas are further away and more expensive meaning far fewer people take up the sport. |
Yup : the small (generally lower altitude) ski areas were often closer to centres of population. Generally frequented by locals & ski clubs rather than tourists. Less expensive resorts where the real "soul of skiing" was very much alive. Historically the best alpine racers and freestyles used to originated from such spots.
Makes me sad to see then struggle. When snow is good some of my best days storm skiing have been at micro resorts with no more than 2-3 lifts.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| munich_irish wrote: |
| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
The sad thing is that all these small local resorts made skiing cheap & accessible to the masses.
The rising snow line is unfortunately going to make some real hidden gems unviable. As we lose such places the sport of skiing unfortunately becomes more gentrified, expensive and exclusive. |
That is very true. The video you posted of some of the Bavarian areas demonstrates the point. These were small areas used mainly by locals, with the declining amounts of snow they are less viable for winter sports. The viable areas are further away and more expensive meaning far fewer people take up the sport. |
Yup : the small (generally lower altitude) ski areas were often closer to centres of population. Generally frequented by locals & ski clubs rather than tourists. Less expensive resorts where the real "soul of skiing" was very much alive. Historically the best alpine racers and freestyles used to originated from such spots.
Makes me sad to see then struggle. When snow is good some of my best days storm skiing have been at micro resorts with no more than 2-3 lifts. |
Agreed
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Whitegold,
He’s back - took a while but he finally swooped in
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@Haggis_Trap, good point. The higher more extensive systems tend to be more vulnerable to lift and key link closures, while the smaller cheaper areas may be more sheltered, accessible and resilient, using simple surface drags.
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| Quote: |
I had no idea the link was closing, lovely runs down as well from the main Les Sybelles area and a superb bar/resto half way down. I hope the village can evolve and the free skiing thing works for them
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Regarding St Colomban, I'm not sure the remaining lifts make much of a difference in terms of attractivity, it's just 2 drags with easy slopes between 1,100-1,200 metres. It certainly helps making the situation acceptable for whoever invested in the new residence in the village, but otherwise the nearest proper skiing is 45 minutes away in St Francois Longchamp.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| harvey13 wrote: |
| Graukogel in Gastein shutting after this season till 2029! Then undecided if it will re start. |
Wow, have had probably some of my most enjoyable skiing there … doesn’t surprise me though as had seen they never opened last season. suspect they come back with artificial…. where did you see this?
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 29-12-25 15:32; edited 1 time in total
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Website called Bundle
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| alasdair.graham wrote: |
I had no idea the link was closing, lovely runs down as well from the main Les Sybelles area and a superb bar/resto half way down. I hope the village can evolve and the free skiing thing works for them |
We were in Les Sybelles last week. From looking at old piste maps it looks like a fair amount of skiing accessed by chairlift has been lost. Were the higher chairlifts off L'Oiillon towards Saint-Colomban-des-Villards still running last year?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@sugarmoma666, yes, they were.
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| Quote: |
We were in Les Sybelles last week. From looking at old piste maps it looks like a fair amount of skiing accessed by chairlift has been lost. Were the higher chairlifts off L'Oiillon towards Saint-Colomban-des-Villards still running last year?
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It was mostly one long run from the Ouillon to the village and a couple of short side pistes all feeding into that same long descent. The end of operations of the Ormet drag 5 years before had already significantly affected the variety of slopes on that side.
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FAQ
