INTERNATIONAL

PISTENBULLY

LiDAR technology revolutionizes snow depth measurement!

Remote snow depth measurement using SNOWsat’s LiDAR technology is a world first! Until now, snow depth was recorded from under the vehicle, but the new system tested in the field this winter now measures snow cover over a radius of around 30 meters in front of the snow groomer: A giant step forward in terms of snow depth management in ski areas! LiDAR is a remote measurement technique based on the analysis of the properties of a laser beam reflected back to its transmitter. Suitable for snow depth measurement and integrated into the SNOWsat system, the laser scans the terrain in front of and to the side of the vehicle at an angle of 120°, processes 200,000 points per second and can analyse, depending on the conditions, up to 2,600 square meters in real time. SNOWsat’s LiDAR makes remotely identifying the level of snow possible so that drivers can react in time accordingly and the surface scanner near the vehicle eliminates the need for multiple passes. Snow depth data in front of and to the sides of the machine is also very useful when moving snow on the slopes or creating snow stocks at the beginning and end of the season. The system collects valuable data for ski area operators, providing a concrete basis for many economic decisions, such as snow-making. Productivity, cost-savings through more efficient work, operational safety, respect for the environment: Everyone benefit from the advantages of SNOWSat LiDAR whether they are drivers, snowmakers, or piste managers. The Zugspitze ski area in Germany was one of the first to use this new technology for remote snow depth measurement this winter. Measurements were taken in varied weather conditions and visibilities, and their impact was studied in collaboration with resort professionals. This collaboration was instrumental in developing and perfecting the system and the new software operating concept. Small component but big effect: Feedback from the first users is promising. “It’s really a giant step forward,” concludes Martin Hurm, Operations Manager at Zugspitze Resort. Come see it in person at Mountain Planet and be prepared for next winter in the best conditions. For more info: www.snowsat.com

RUN RED: THE NEW PISTENBULLY 400 IS GETTING STRONGER

RUN RED! With completely overhauled capacities, the new PistenBully 400’s motto fits like a glove. Efficiency is what counts on the piste, and that’s what the new PistenBully 400 offers in its four versions: The most powerful engine in its class, impressive thrust capacity, simple and intuitive controls, long range autonomy, and long component life. The new PistenBully 400 completes the family: A whole generation with the same ease of use, the cleanest engine, and appealing design. Run efficient In this new version, the balance between power, weight, and size found in the previous Pistenbully 400 is maintained and new electronic assistance systems like the AutoTracer and AutoWince are added, making the ride even smoother and more efficient. The 6-belt CombiPlus track, identical to those on the PistenBully 600, advances gradability and pushing capacity. The larger tank volume, combined with lower fuel consumption, yields a greater range. Finally, the ParkPro model offers a winch version for the first time and the new and improved additional accessories offer everything you could wish for in professional snow park preparation.

Run clean. The new PistenBully 400 is equipped with a clean 6-cylinder engine with 435 metric HP including a diesel particulate filter, the PistenBully 400 also meets EU Stage V / EPA Tier 4 final. Like all PistenBully vehicles, since January 2022 it is delivered HVO-ready which means it uses fuel produced from hydrogenated plant waste and animal fat waste, reducing CO2 emissions by around 90% compared to traditional diesel fuel.

Run smart Control systems were standardised, just like the PistenBully 600 and 100, with an ergonomic and intuitive double-joint joystick for four simultaneous blade movements and the possibility of memorising four different operator profiles. The cab has a new smooth, round design with wider windows and improved acoustic and thermal insulation. New options are also available, such as a third seat—just like the PistenBully 600—air conditioning, and LED headlights. See the new PistenBully 400 at Mountain Planet It is available in four models: PistenBully 400, 400 W, ParkPro and ParkPro W

For more info: www.pistenbully.com

Join us on a tour around the world to learn about best practices in international ski areas. Kaline Osaki, head of the Mountain Cluster’s business development department, and Swiss expert Laurent Vanat, whose annual international report on snow and mountain tourism is always a highly anticipated event are our guides.

Kaline Osaki, head of the business development division of the Mountain Cluster and Laurent Vanat, author of the annual international report on snow and mountain tourism.

Text Marie-France Sarrazin - Illustrations: Anne Bosquet

GOVERNANCE

Now governance is a loaded word. It’s a topic that many ski areas all over the world will be addressing as they think about their future. “Governance in France is very specific. The French Mountain Act provides a framework for ski area management and gives the organizing authority—a town or group of towns—a central role. The challenge is to agree on a vision while each side is defending their own interests and logic. The operator is there to operate the lifts and the town has other concerns,” explains Emmanuelle George, a researcher in mountain tourism development at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Governance is at the heart of any new strategy implementation in France. “This is a major issue in France because it blocks many projects if all the players are not involved in the process,” says Kaline Osaki, head of Cluster Montagne’s business development unit. In France, when the ski area lifts are not operated by the town, public service delegations (DSP) often limit the scope of private ski area operators. This gives rise to resorts with fragmented governance, with three key players: the town, the lift operators, and the tourist office. “Resorts that work well are those where there is an agreement between these three entities,” she notes. In Les Gets, the DSP is managed by a semi-public company (Saem) in which the town is a shareholder. This opens up a field of possibilities. In addition to the ski area, Saem manages the golf course, mountain bike activities, the day care center, the swimming lake, and the Alta Lumina night course. DSPs are simply fixed-term contracts that may not be renewed. “Operators are on a hot seat, and this doesn’t encourage them to invest in the ski area. They may just not have enough time to see an ROI,” she says. In France, the public sector is predominant, since pistes are created on public land in the vast majority of cases. In the USA, private individuals can buy land to create winter sports resorts. They are therefore masters in their own house. “In Italy, a mayor is not necessarily involved in the negotiation in ski lift management. The operator is an economic player like any other, one that is independent. It’s still possible to work with the community on certain topics like planning or

« En France, les stations collaborent peu entre elles. Alors que la Suisse et l’Autriche raisonnent en logique territoriale, comme entre Mürren, Wengen ou Grindenwald. »

KALINE OSAKI, INTERNATIONAL MANAGER CLUSTER MONTAGNE

development says Emmanuelle George. In other countries, there are many different models where the lift operator also operates restaurants, hotels, and other activities reducing their dependence on a single activity. “In Andorra’s Grandvalira Resort, lift operators have restaurants, which contribute 30% of their turnover in the summer! In Eastern Europe, Tatry Mountain Resort Group operates resorts, water parks, hotels, ski schools, sports shops, and restaurant-bars,” says Kaline Osaki. For several years now, Compagnie des Alpes—one of the world’s largest mountain players operating 11 Alpine resorts— has been moving away from its historical business centered around ski lift operation by investing in related areas to improve the customer journey. The company has extended its scope to tourist accommodation, aiming to increase the number of occupied beds by creating package deals and has acquired the tour operator TravelFactory. It even offers indoor and outdoor activities through their new entity Evolution 2. The new CEO of Compagnie des Alpes, Dominique Thillaud, has set the goal of generating 30% of turnover from the summer season within 10 years. We are no longer talking about ski resorts. Now, it is mountain resorts. Nuance. The company is also experimenting with a turnkey year-round base camp offer at Grand Massif Resort, in Haute-Savoie, that caters to different guest types.

SUMMER

Snow destinations in Western and mature countries are all faced with the same problem, as their main product is still skiing. It’s on everyone’s lips: Four-season tourism. Well, almost everyone. Rebalancing the ratio between winter and summer would be a good start. Today, winter operations pay for summer losses. “Skiing has been the mainstay for resorts since the 1970s. However, mountain tourism was created in the summer,” says Laurent Vanat. This shift towards a focus on skiing seems to have spared village resorts like Chamonix, “but there are few of them in France compared to Switzerland and Austria. Here, we have infrastructures that work all year round.” Resorts like Chamonix, Zermatt, and Moléson in the Jungfrau may be able to balance their operations between summer and winter. Finding a viable economic model during the summer months remains a major challenge, as non-commercial activities flourish without necessarily needing to use the ski lifts. Abroad, they have found a solution: “Activities are being developed at the top of the ski area, with the obligation to take the lifts to access the area,” observes the Cluster Montagne specialist. There are an abundance of examples. In Andorra, Vallnord has created a summer version of the ski area at the top of the resort with a mountain bike trail, sports tracks, and excursions. At the top of the Swiss Grindelwald area, a panoramic restaurant and a belvedere offer a breathtaking view... as does the zipline. In the Austrian Tyrol, in Hexenwasser, the ski area turns into a water park in the summer that can be accessed by ropeway. Thanks to this facility, Hexenwasser has the same number of overnight stays in summer as in winter. Trysil in Norway invested €2.7M in a bike arena to generate 20% of its annual turnover in the summer. Bachledka, in Slovakia, is banking on a treetop adventure course that is accessible by lift in summer and winter, including for disabled adventurers. This attraction is accompanied by additional services: Dog kennels, children’s games, equipment rentals, and more. In Canada, Grouse Mountain is the number one paid attraction in Vancouver. Its two ropeways are open all year round from 9am to 10pm. The package includes access to activities on the top of the mountain including hikes, shows, grizzly bear park, disc golf, and additional paid activities such as a zip line and a visit to the top of a wind turbine.

The intermediate station on the new ropeway linking La Joue-du-Loup to SuperDévoluy will house a tourist attraction that will reflect the identity of the area.

Le Grand-Bornand makes every effort to promote agriculture.

B. DELERUE/LE GRAND BORNAND

In France, projects are emerging. Sem Dévoluy, which operates SuperDévoluy and La Joue-du-Loup, is planning to install a ropeway to link both resorts in 2024. It will serve an intermediate station, located at an altitude of 1850 meters, where a new four-season tourist attraction will be created for skiers and non-skiers alike, calling on the territory’s identity. Dévoluy’s specificity will be omnipresent: Alpine pastures, the Bure radio astronomy observatory, and its natural cavities called chourums. “We want to make it a place where guests can learn and have unforgettable experiences”, summarizes Laurent Thélène, director of Dévoluy ski development. A sheepfold, a small observatory, a barbecue area, an escape game, kite flying, sledging, an underground via ferrata through two caves, and a beginner’s rock climbing wall would complete the summer offer. However, Laurent Vanat raises a problem: “In the summer, and even in the winter when we don’t ski, no activity offers the same capacity as skiing.”

IDENTITY

“The model would be relevant if, in the future, we are able to reconcile local life with year-round tourist life,” explains Kaline Osaki. Some resorts are moving in this direction: “They are villages before they are resorts—with an architecture, a DNA, a history, and activities that move beyond tourism,” she says. Tourism has sometimes overtaken activities such as agriculture. “Switzerland and Austria have tried everything to preserve these activities as people like to visit places that have stories to tell. Chamonix, for example, boasts an incredible history that is unique in the world.” It’s not a lost cause for other resorts. Each one is free to develop its own storytelling.

CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Who hasn’t felt sorry for those skiers who, once they leave their car at the parking lot, walk a long way to the ticket office and then to the lifts in a hesitant, robotic step, loose skis on their shoulders? The logistical aspect can be daunting for many, especially beginners. “In the United States, a study shows that more than 80% of beginner skiers find their first attempt at skiing to be disappointing and don’t try it again. My most awesome experience? Skiing in Dubai, where I arrived in my everyday clothes. I didn’t have to carry any equipment around; I was provided with everything,” says Swiss expert Laurent Vanat, whose annual international report on snow and mountain tourism is always a highly anticipated event. For him, improving the customer experience means making life easier and avoiding fragmented services. Some resorts in North America and China have all the services in one place, in huge malls at the foot of the slopes. There is a parking lot, ticket office, ski school, restaurants, sports shops, and lift departure stations. “France already had very few all-in-one resorts, and the last ones were dismantled in the 1980s. Some resorts managed by Labellemontagne are perhaps closer to this model,” observes Laurent Vanat. Of course, it is easier to start from scratch, like the recent resorts created in China, Azerbaijan, and even Turkey. For the latter two countries, which are well equipped, it is now a question of attracting customers... ‘If you build it, they will come’ is not always true!

Bachledka, in Slovakia, is banking on a treetop adventure course that is accessible by lift in summer and winter

“Beware of greenwashing!”

LAURENT VANAT, CONSULTANT

Although it is inconceivable to wipe out the past, it is possible to make some improvements, albeit costly. “When rebuilding ski lifts, you can very well design a large building that houses as many services as possible,” says Vanat. Facilitate, centralize. “This is the problem with the DSP in France. It restricts operators who cannot control everything they would like to,” summarizes the Swiss expert. Governance, again.

PARTNERSHIP WITH SMALL RESORTS

In France and abroad, resorts are closing. “It’s sad, because it’s the small sites that are dying, those operated by small towns, which were popular among lower income populations. These are the places that are natural breeding grounds for long-term loyal skiers,” says Kaline Osaki. Vail Resorts group has some of the largest resorts in the US. “For some time now, the American giant has been acquiring smaller resorts, often close to urban areas, in order to diversify, gain brand identity, and position its brand on the summer market. Customers of these small resorts will then move to the larger ones.” This principle has recently been adopted by Les 2 Alpes, which has signed a partnership with the small family Col de Porte resort. It’s about learning to ski in a small resort and then migrating to the big one. How does this exchange of goodwill work? Les 2 Alpes is committed to donating equipment and providing technical support, while Col de Porte promotes Les 2 Alpes. “In France, resorts don’t collaborate much with one another,” says Kaline Osaki. This is a problem in the summer, when people move around a lot. They communicate on their offers, each in their own corner. Switzerland and Austria think in territorial terms, as illustrated with Mürren, Wengen or Grindenwald.”

THE ENERGY TRANSITION

Countries are more or less sensitive to the energy transition. “Those who are seriously looking into it and adopting interesting initiatives are mature ski markets: France, Austria, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, and Scandinavia. Emerging markets like Central Asia, China, Russia, and Japan are lagging behind,” says Kaline Osaki. While DSF is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2037, Pyhä and Ruka Resorts in Finland are among the first to have already achieved it. Experiments are flourishing in ski areas to reduce their energy consumption or even produce it. “Beware of greenwashing!” Laurent Vanat warns that efforts must be concentrated on groomers and, above all, on transport solutions. “In France, you have to be convinced to go to a

DR

In addition to paying the ropeway access fee, an additional fee is required to climb to the top of this wind turbine at Grouse Mountain, in Canada

resort other than by car”, says the expert sarcastically. “The Japanese, even if they don’t have this environmental concern, travel by public transport. Luggage is sent beforehand by post, transport is cheap, and the area is well served,” says Ms. Osaki. In Sweden, the operator Skistar invested in the creation of a local airport next to Sälen, the largest resort. The same is true in Switzerland, in the Aletsch Arena. To get to the car-free resort of Fiescheralp, you have to go through the Fiesch public transport hub—with train station, bus terminal, and gondola lift—co-financed by the operator. Laurent Vanat tempers this enthusiasm. “In Switzerland, 16 of the 20 largest resorts have train stations. However, not many of the resort guests come by public transport. If only people didn’t have to carry around all their equipment!” The expert points out that the marketing of a package deal, including equipment and transport, could be a solution. “In Austria, and in Verbier, Switzerland, there are locker rooms and ski lockers next to the ticket offices and ropeway departure stations. In South Korea, at a resort near Seoul, people arrive and then change clothes because they have their lockers, and then go back to the city.” Another problematic topic for Laurent Vanat is energy sinkholes—“buildings built in the 1970s that might be better to demolish and rebuild.”