TIES Global Ecotourism Conference 2007 Oslo, Norway Title of the paper:
“Ski for Nature” Developing and communicating sustainable ski tourism to Kamchatka, Russia Author: Tobias Luthe M.Sc./M.A. Position: Director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Coordinator of the German Ski Federation (DSV) Lecturer and scientist at the University of Freiburg, Germany CEO of Telemarkzone Contact: luthe@telemarkzone.com Partners: Telemarkzone, Kamchatka Ecotourism Society (KES), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), UNDP-GEF, German Ski Federation (DSV), Group of Outdoor Sports and Sustainability at the University of Freiburg, Germany (NUF) Abstract: Kamchatka, the peninsula in the far North East of Russia, has long been a military zone protected by the former Soviet Regime. After the political break down in the 1990s its pristine wilderness with the world’s highest number of Grizzly Bears, more than 100 volcanoes, the world’s most diverse salmon runs, and a number of endemic plant species has been prone to uncontrolled economical development. Resulting problems are bear poaching, over fishing the salmon population, mining, forest exploitation and others alike. In a joint venture of the UNDP-GEF1 project, the WWF2 Russia and Germany and the Kamchatka Ecotourism Society are setting Nature Parks aside where wilderness is protected. In times of fast economical development financing the management of these parks is crucial but difficult to maintain because exploiting natural resources often is a faster source of income. Alternatives need to be developed. Tourism is one potential way to finance local preservation. As there is quite a bit of summer tourism going on, the expedition “ski for nature” focused on winter tourism. To research and define opportunities to develop sustainable ski tourism inside the Nature Parks the organizations Telemarkzone and KES partnered to lead an expedition of skiers and researchers to Kamchatka. The project proved the high potential to start such winter tourism and outlined recommendations how to proceed. The geographical situation is perfect for skiers. Challenges are the lack of infrastructure (huts), the vast distances to reach the suitable terrain and the lack of a well established certification program for local guides. 1 2
United Nations Development Program – GEF (Global Environment Facility) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
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1. Context Kamchatka is one of the world’s most beautiful and wild places, still fairly undeveloped by the western tourism industry. Its pristine wilderness is home to many rare and endemic species in a breathtaking landscape that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Grizzly Bears and active volcanoes facing the Bering Sea are just few examples of Kamchatka’s treasures.
1.1 Exploitation of the pristine wilderness As anywhere else in the world humans’ activities are taking their toll on nature. Kamchatka’s people necessarily strive to increase their standard of living to match others around the world. Unfortunately, short-term thinking and immediate needs lead to the overuse of land and nature, resulting in environmental problems that will eventually negatively impact the existing economical and social systems. The wild paradise of Kamchatka is threatened by over-use of natural resources on many fronts. For example, over-fishing of salmon for caviar has the potential to negatively impact the grizzly bear population which relies on salmon for food. There are also potential problems with an economy that depends on mining, oil exploitation, deforestation and other uncontrolled land use.
Picture 1 Earn your turn. Self-powered ascent of a steaming volcanoe, normally by climbing up on the skis with skins underneath, then as shown here in difficult terrain by carrying the skis to the summit before the descent (Photographer: T. Luthe).
1.2 Alternative approaches to finance preservation It is critical to identify and develop alternative, sustainable income resources for Kamchatka that address the multiple challenges in economical growth, social necessities and ecological conservation. One approach is the development of sustainable tourism in Kamchatka. The Kamchatka Ecotourism Society and the WWF network are supporting the local authorities in setting up protected zones like nature parks in combination with environmental education and communication. About 27% of Kamchatka is now preserved. Key issues that arise when considering tourism in any country are the potential negative impacts of the tourist activities themselves on the very natural resources that form the base of the industry.
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2. Developing sustainable winter tourism in Kamchatka 2.1 Kinds of winter sports The tourism activities in Kamchatka so far have been focused on the summer season. Fishing, horse riding, hiking, wildlife viewing and rafting are some of those activities. In winter there are only very few tourists coming to Kamchatka, one reason being the difficult access in winter due to the high amounts of snow, difficult access and changeable weather. Ongoing activities in winter are skidooing (riding on snow mobiles) and helicopter skiing. Both sports can result in environmental problems like noise pollution, disturbance of wildlife especially in mating and raising season, engine emissions and uncontrollable access to remote areas. There are many winter activities that could foster sustainable winter tourism. We propose one potentially very low-impact eco-tourist activity that could sustain significant use while leaving a soft footprint on the landscape. Backcountry skiing and touring (both Telemark and alpine touring as well as snowshoeing and snowboarding) are increasing in popularity worldwide as people seek to escape developed ski areas. Backcountry skiers “earn their turn”, which means the equipment is made to facilitate climbing uphill to access downhill ski descents. Of course there are other snow sports that can substitute backcountry skiing and boarding – e.g. dog sledding, ice climbing, winter hiking or snowshoeing. Ski touring remains the biggest and thus most attractive “alternative” ski tourism market in winter. Contrary to conventional mass ski tourism in ski areas, backcountry ski tourists would support an economy of local lodging, transportation, guiding and instruction with minimal physical or aesthetic impacts to the area. This model has been very successfully applied in many parts of the world, notably the Canadian Rockies, Pyrenees, Alps, etc. No trails, signs, runs are needed for ski mountaineers. Only access to mountainous terrain and accommodation in the vicinity of suitable terrain has to be provided.
2.2 Environmental problems resulting from winter tourism Winter tourism in general can cause a number of problems for nature. Winter is a special season due to many facts – the snow covers the plants, wetlands, lakes and rivers are frozen, many animals are slowing down or hibernating over the winter. Nature is in its sleep mode. Food is rare, and those animals who remain active suffer from the cold and the lack of food. Disturbances of wildlife in winter can easily result in life threatening situations when animals escape from a sudden disturbance. Their energy consumption can reach sixty times more than normal. Spring time is high season for backcountry skiing. Days are longer, the weather usually more stable, the avalanche danger in general is lower and more predictable due to daily temperature patterns. But at the same time animals awake, the breeding season starts, and they are looking for food. Disturbances from skiers in this time can cause even more problems when they suddenly descend a slope far in the backcountry. When developing sustainable ski tourism the following factors - amongst others - need to be taken into account:
Mobility and individual access of skiers to remote regions Access to pristine mountain wilderness – define corridors in space and time 3
Volume of skiers comparably low - wildlife sensitivity very high (remote regions) Vegetation – sufficient snow cover needed Ski resorts – advantages and disadvantages in concentrating people in one place Construction and operation of mountain huts „Negative“ trends – e.g. heli/snowcat skiing, skidooing, “fast & easy” high impact extreme adventure sports „Positive“ trends: snowshoeing, ski touring, increasing environmental awareness “Foreign package”: no local involvement Others…
2.3 Features of sustainable winter tourism Regarding the environmental constraints as listed above there are ways to strategically avoid such problems in snow sports tourism. Backcountry skiing and boarding (“ski touring”) are human-powered sports that in general are environmentally friendly. Motorized variations of snow sports such as skidooing and helicopter skiing can cause many more problems as stated above. In fact, as in most outdoor sports, individual access and mobility to the mountains is the main environmental constraint. Public transport if available or at least car pooling often remain the only environmental alternatives. As in tourism in general, international flight traffic is a major source of pollution and resource extraction also in ski tourism. General rules and ways to address these problems from flight traffic apply in ski tourism too. Most important is the definition of areas, where and when ski tourists can access the wilderness. Habitats of endangered species need protection. Ski corridors can easily lead around those and even stay away in spring during the reproductive season for many animals. Still, the needs of skiers in terms of terrain for the ascent and the descent, snow quality, alpine adventure, access, infrastructure for multiple days and safety have to be met and taken into account when defining environmental corridors. Providing the groups with local guides who are skilled and certified can help to easily control individual access to sensitive areas. Ski areas in general provide the opportunity to concentrate skiers and boarders in a place and take pressure off other regions. Ski areas even of very small kind with just one or two lifts can serve perfectly to have one major magnet for snow sport tourists if the location and the operations are selected wisely.
Picture 1 Skiing steeps in the backcountry down a volcanoe with breathtaking views down to the ocean. This is what foreign “eco” skiers are looking for in Kamchatka (Photographer: T. Luthe).
The general trend of more adventure, extreme outdoor activities and more individuality in society also fuels the wish to travel self-powered into the backcountry. Sustainable snow 4
tourism can make use of this trend without pushing motorized snow sports. Motorized vehicles can be of important use though if taken to access mountainous terrain where access on roads is difficult or in winter impossible. If conditions are right, dog sledding can be an alternative to travel through long stretches of flat terrain to access the slopes. Infrastructure for backcountry skiers and boarders means a more or less simple hut to accommodate skiers for multiple day trips from a hut in a “hot spot” with good access to skiing ascents/descents. Such huts can be simple but need to meet certain standards to be marketable to tourists. There are many examples today where and how to build low impact sustainable huts that meet standards of green building.
Picture 2 The huts in Nalychevo Nature Park are a good example of a simple hut infrastructure for ski tourists in combination with hot springs (Photographer: T. Luthe).
2.4 Questions that needed research and testing Identifying potential environmental problems and discussing sustainable solutions in general bring us to the specific needs in Kamchatka. Here a couple of questions regarding the development of sustainable ski tourism business arose including the following:
What is it that skiers of different kind and origin would ask for if coming to Kamchatka? What kind of skiing do they search when possibly travelling that far? How can skiing be eco but still allure skiers and not be too limited? What kind of terrain for what kind of snow sports is preferred, what other kind of snow sports is attractive? What else makes a ski trip to Kamchatka attractive for different target groups? What infrastructure is needed in terms of accommodation, transportation and information? What has to be taken into consideration when developing new ski areas or “upgrading” existing ones in a sustainable context? How can the use of helicopters and skidoos be channelled to make sense in sustainable tourism? How can the target group “skiers” be reached? In communication, what language is used, what messages get transported how, by which tools and by what channels does marketing for skiers work best? How can ideas and developments be tested and be translated into real products to be communicated hand in hand with the media? What are expectations and needs on local services such as guiding?
“Ski for Nature” was meant to address these questions amongst many others. 5
3. The project “Ski for Nature” to develop sustainable winter tourism 3.1 Methodological approach 3.1.1 Idea With more than 100 volcanoes with the highest rising almost 4800 m above sea level, Kamchatka could not be more ideal for developing a low-impact backcountry ski tourist industry. The combination of high precipitation and big volcanoes in pristine wilderness with awakening grizzly bears in springtime and eagles, geothermal springs and views to the Bering Sea on the horizon are the dream of many adventurous skiers in the world. The idea for the “Ski for Nature” expedition was generated when a public television station broadcasted a movie from the WWF Germany and Russia where the above stated general environmental problems in Kamchatka where outlined. Solutions involved the development of protected nature parks and some tourism in summer paired with environmental education. Winter tourism was not a topic and thus a first contact with the WWF Germany was started. “Ski for Nature” is the title of this knowledge transfer for the local development of a sustainable ski tourism that could help generating income to finance nature preservation within the first nature parks in Kamchatka.
3.1.2 Partners The project “Ski for Nature” was initiated by the non-profit organization Telemarkzone, an international group of professional skiers, mountain guides, scientists from the fields of sustainability sciences, photographers and filmers, dedicated to connect people and nature to transport the concept of sustainable development and foster social interaction. Partners were the WWF Germany and Russia, the Environmental body of the German Ski Federation (DSV), the Group of Outdoor Sports and Sustainability of the University of Freiburg, Germany, and the Kamchatka Ecotourism Society (KES). KES was the main partner in this project organizing anything from local guides to transport and accommodation. KES is also the organization to implement future concepts of sustainable snow sports tourism.
3.1.3 The international market for ski touring In the planning process of this project one focus was on target market research. How would one describe the needs of „Homo Skitouriensis“, the European or North American person willing to invest time and money to ski in one of the most remote and wildest places on earth? 6
The skiers this project is aiming for are first of all downhill oriented in their mind and by their gear. Climbing up a steep and high mountain to enjoy the views, to sweat and work for a whole body experience is their focus. The self-powered ascent though is only a means for the descent. The descent should be wild, provide untouched snow and breathtaking views. Steep alpine terrain is needed that still has to be skiable – also known as „freeride“ skiing. The biggest challenge here is how to travel long distances in the flats to access steep terrain given the heavier gear needed for descents, the time scale of a typical trip, and the psychological expectations of ski tourists. Ski mountaineers as targeted are mainly well experienced and technically skilled skiers. They demand a lot for the money they pay and the long time the travel takes. Guiding thus has to meet international certification standards in terms of equipment, language, safety, accommodation, and terrain selection. These ski tourists like exotic places. They do not only come for the skiing but for the whole package of skiing, to experience a different culture (in this case the former Soviet system with its attractive contrasts), for the volcanoes, the high elevations, the views on the Bering Sea, wildlife viewing, the hot springs and so on. Costs are not the first objective and the willingness to spend a sum of two to four thousand Euros for a great trip of ten days to two weeks is there. In exchange these tourists expect the high standards as stated before. In organizing “Ski for Nature” the potential market for sustainable ski tourism in Kamchatka was researched to define suitable activities and marketing strategies. How big is the market, what are main players, what are standards to be met? In Europe there are 50 Million ski visits (SV) per year to the Alps. In total we account about 20 Million skiers/boarders in Europe.3 The number of ski mountaineers is about one million with a rapidly growing number.4 In the North American market there are about 70 Million SV in ski resorts per year.5 The DAV Summit Club in Germany is the biggest provider of mountain travel world wide to 57 countries.6 The market of ski tourism is big and the target groups for ski mountaineers in Europe and North America are the focus of this project. These skiers in general are well skilled and open to invest time and money to ski in remote places. On the other hand they expect certain standards in terms of organization, guiding and accommodation. The locality in Kamchatka would have to meet such standards in order to serve as a well working destination. Establishing these standards at the start is critical for subsequent “word-of-mouth” marketing and creating an economically profitable reputation for excellence.
3. 2 The Expedition To provide local consultation and test the opportunities in Kamchatka for the implementation of such sustainable winter tourism the Telemarkzone network offered support for the locally based Kamchatka Ecotourism Society (KES). In partnership with the WWF in Germany and in Russia, KES, the National Park authorities in Kamchatka, Explorekam (a local tourism company) and the German Ski Federation, Telemarkzone planned and organized a three weeks expedition to Kamchatka in May 2006. In an early stage “hot spots” for potential ski tourism were identified with the following attributes:
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www.seilbahn.net German Alpine Association ( DAV) 2005 5 www.sustainabilitypartners.com. www.nsaa.org 6 DAV Summitclub 2006 4
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interesting, challenging and “safe” terrain for skiers ecologically interesting sites (in terms of viewing wildlife, landscape, plants) not a highly sensitive region in need of total protection close enough to infrastructure to be logistically feasible and accessible
Preliminary identification of ski tourism hot spots was carried out in advance within the planning process. Then some of these areas were visited. The expedition was documented, photographed and filmed to develop a working example of the local opportunities. The approach within the project “Ski for Nature” to develop sustainable ski tourism focuses on an exchange and a transfer of experiences and a process to match local needs and feasibilities. Professional knowledge and experience in ski tourism was matched with the messages and local needs of KES, the WWF and the Nature Park authorities to communicate effectively about low impact ski tourism possibilities in Kamchatka.
Picture 4 Checking out one of the few existing huts. In this expedition solar panels were used to charge batteries for cameras. The use of solar panels for mountain huts was tested too (Photographer: T. Luthe).
In addition to the questions stated in chapter 2.4 two other specific focus points from the field of individual mobility were addressed in this project. The general problem of flight emissions for travelling was addressed by calculating the carbon dioxide emissions of the whole Telemarkzone team travelling from North America and from Europe to Kamchatka.7 The total amount of CO2 emissions could theoretically be offset by the exchange of 33 energy saving light bulbs over their life spans of about 6 years. Ordinary bulbs were exchanged by energy saving ones, the energy saved does not need to be produced anymore – and this saves on emissions in exchange for those from the flights. Of course CO2 is only one emission of many others, but it works as a starting point and as a good practice example to raise awareness for the existence of environmental problems from travelling. The second topic of individual mobility was local access to “hot spots”. In addition to dog sledding the technique of kite skiing was explored to traverse the long flat distances towards the mountains. Kites derived from kite surfing prooved to be one alternative that needs a lot of skills to use, but this option should be kept in mind when thinking about alternative ways to approach the mountains in winter.
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calculated with the online emissions calculator from Scandinavien Airlines at http://www.sasems.port.se/
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Picture 5 Trying out kite skiing as one self-powered alternative to motorized traffic to approach the mountains and traverse the large flat spaces.
Further contributions of the Telemarkzone expedition included:
A professional team, made up of ski and mountain guides, ski instructors, scientists in the field of ecology, environmental management, sustainability communication, media specialists like film makers and photographers as well as winter tourist experts to undertake an expedition to Kamchatka. Development of a ‘product’ – identifying ski tourism hot spots, local training and logistics. Providing pictures, videos and technical information that could serve to communicate about ski-eco-tourism through various channels and marketing efforts. The movie should show images that instill a sense of responsibility and stewardship. Providing a communication network for skiers interested in Kamchatka. Providing knowledge of ski target groups, what products they like and how to reach them. Speaking the language of skiers and ecologists; translating the message of WWF, of local conservation and eco-tourism interest groups into a market-ready ski tourism language while providing the emotional and contextual tools being pictures and movies. Providing access to media channels in the international ski market with focus on Europe and North America. Working with travel companies in Europe and North America to develop attractive travel packages. Providing further consultations to the WWF, UNDP, KES and local park authorities for developing ski-eco-tourism in Kamchatka.
3.3 Results and recommendations Experiences from “Ski for Nature” in Kamchatka demonstrated the challenges that still have to be met before the implementation of local sustainable ski tourism can be achieved:
The lack of infrastructure (huts, base camps are not existing) The need of guides with international certification: in order to calculate marketable price packages local certified guides are needed. In that case there only has to be one
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guide from the visiting organization which saves on costs as guides from Europe and North America are very expensive. Language barrier – most tourists will not speak Russian, and will thus be highly dependent on local organizers to speak English at a minimum. There is a different understanding of “ski touring” in Kamchatka. Skis were traditionally used to travel distances in winter, not as a means of fun and leisure to climb and descent on steep slopes. Thus a local understanding of the different equipment, skills, and needs associated with different types of ski touring is essential. There are vast distances to approach the steeps. Kamchatka is big, the distances between the volcanoes are vast. Ski tourists in general want to ascend and descend steep terrain. Their equipment is alpine oriented and heavy, so traversing long distances in the flat is not what the market is looking for. The distances and the lack of roads make it difficult to get into the “hot spots” of ski touring. Controlled use of helicopters, skidoos and if conditions allow in first terms dog sleds are all potential means of transportation. Uncontrolled skidoo traffic poses a challenge for meeting the wilderness expectations of ski tourists. Skidoos have been the main group of backcountry travelers in Kamchatka. They go anywhere and travel fast. If there are ski mountaineers climbing a mountain to descent in tranquility and they encounter a loud group of skidoos, much of the experience of outdoor sport and nature is gone. This is particularly true in Kamchatka where its reputation for vast remote and pristine wilderness is one of the biggest reasons why it is so attractive to ski tourists. Skidoo traffic needs to be regulated and prohibited where sustainable ski tourism shall be implemented. Only tightly regulated access routes to base camps, huts, and for emergencies can be allowed. What has been described above for skidooing must also be applied to helicopter skiing. Strong regulations for operating corridors need to be defined.
Market research showed that major companies in Europe and North America are interested in serving Kamchatka with alternative winter tourism. In fact the first trips could start any time if there were local guides and infrastructure in Kamchatka available. Until the year 2007 there was only one local qualified guide who, despite his unparalleled experience, still lacked the standard international mountain guide certification. This certification is essential for successful marketing to foreign tourists. As proposed to the local partners in Kamchatka and the UNDP there are some next steps to follow in order to begin first commercial alternative ski trips that leave money with the local nature parks:
Further development should go into improving the infrastructure. A start could be done by building one mountain hut (an “eco lodge”) in a hot spot with easy access to high quality alpine ski terrain. This lodge should meet international guidelines for green building. A short term alternative could be a heated tent camp with wooden floors that could be moved easily if necessary. The “hot spots” for ski touring should be closed immediately for recreational skidoo use and helicopter skiing. Access to a hot spot from where self powered climbing would start could also be done with dog sleds, if the snow is not right or loads are to heavy then access with helicopter/skidoo/snow cat must be considered. However this traffic must be restricted to simple drop-offs of people and supplies and to emergency use..
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Local guides are needed with international certification and an understanding of customers’ needs. This is part of a price calculation for foreign travel companies who then only need to provide one “expensive” guide. Marketing and advertisement for sustainable ski tourism in Kamchatka is one important step to follow in the source markets in Europe and North America. The Telemarkzone movie “Ski for Nature” will serve as one important marketing tool. Foster local involvement and education for sustainable development. Local nature park authorities, tourism actors and other stakeholders should be involved in local networks that explain, demonstrate and develop sustainable ski tourism. Knowledge transfer is a key factor to raise awareness for sustainable development in general and incubate a local low-impact tourism in especial
4. Summary Kamchatka is in the transformation process from the older communist system to a social capitalism with all upcoming structural and environmental problems. The degradation of natural resources is a huge threat posed by this development. Local and international organizations try to set aside nature sanctuaries, but financing is difficult. Alternative but sustainable sources for funding need to be developed. Sustainable tourism could be one such source, and a focus should be on the vast opportunities in winter/spring as there already is comparably more going on in summer. The expedition “Ski for Nature” was meant to develop local networks in Kamchatka and connect these networks with the international market for sustainable winter tourism – to exchange knowledge and experiences. The international standards and expectations were demonstrated by bringing in a group of guides, ski instructors, scientists, tourism professionals and photographers/film-makers who jointly undertook two weeks of ski mountaineering, providing consultation and leading workshops with local stakeholders. The potential for alternative ski tourism, namely self-powered backcountry skiing and ski touring in Kamchatka prooved to be enormous. Critical points were the lack of infrastructure for accommodation, lack of internationally certified guides, and easy-to-address communication gaps regarding the expectations and needs of foreign ski tourists. By providing concrete recommendations the project “Ski for Nature” initiated a new local process of networking and thinking in the direction of responsibility and sustainability. Further implementation of some of the recommendations requires international funding to start local education and training activities,building a demonstration eco-hut in a skiing hot spot, and developing and implementing zoning guidelines. Addressing all of these issues together to create, from the start, an unparalleled visitor experience will be critical for marketing the first successes.
References: www.telemarkzone.com/kamchatka (reports, pictures and movies) www.explorekamchatka.com (Kamchatka Ecotourism Society) www.wwwf.org (World Wide Fund for Nature) http://www.undp.org/gef/05/ (UNDP-GEF) www.ski-online.de/umwelt (Environmental Body of the German Ski Federation) 11
www.seilbahn.net (Ropeways online info service in the Alps) www.alpenverein.de (German Alpine Association) www.summitclub.de (DAV Summit Club) www.nsaa.org (National Ski Areas Association) http://www.sasems.port.se/ (Scandinavian Airlines online emissions calculator)
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