The last of the winter escapes?

Sa ron Corcoran discusses the impacts of climate change on winter travel

While some enjoy escaping to the sun in the cold winter months, many of us dream of or indeed do jet o to even chillier locations; some even see this as a right of passage going with school, college, or university. However, climate change is threatening your chance of these holidays.

Now we know scientists have been ringing alarm bells about climate change since the start of the century, but the impacts are now becoming clearer. Not only are storms becoming more violent, sea levels rising, and hotter summers but areas that were once cold and snowy for a significant amount of time are shrinking meaning winter holidays are being cut short.

Winter holidays are being cut short

Recent research from Aberystwyth University change project that covered the entire European Alps region used a model to investigate what the glacier’s response will possibly look like due to climate change Spoiler Alert! It’s not good. The research outcome was clear; 92% of the alp’s glaciers could be lost by the end of the century and dream? Well, we can certainly say it’s going to cost you more; with the ski/winter period becoming shortened each year and more resorts closing and the industry knows they can charge more for the same thing due to lack of availability. Crystal Clear holidays revealed that a ski trip shopping basket had gone up on average by 22% from 21-22.

Another thing is if you’re a skier, snowboarder or just like snow and you’re going to a resort you might not get actual ‘snow’ much rather artificial snow. Several popular resorts in the alps have been making up for the lost snow with an arsenal of snow guns to create and spray artificial snow on the mountains. While Laax’s (Sweden) 430 machines are reliable in the short-term, the long-term reliability? Not so much. This is due to the gun’s expense to run, specific operation conditions and impacts on local resources and the environment. So, despite how deep the pockets are of the resorts or the army of guns they have, they can’t hold back the change coming.

Climate change is going to impact the traditional resorts in terms of when they are open and if they even reopen at all

While this all sounds like doom and gloom, there’s no denying it is bad, there are some positives – snow holidays may become based closer to home, to be precise 223 miles closer in some areas of

This isn’t going to take away from the fact the cost is going to go up, and without be expected to rise more. However, it does mean snow holidays will become more accessible to the British public and for skiers no more dry slopes.

You’re going to be in for a fight though. Already this year, Blue Skies Scottish ski resort was so busy on the 2nd of January that they had to stop selling passes due to ski resorts in Europe delaying their opening (because of lack of snow) or in the case of my first ever snow holiday, this December, the resort only partially opened.

The real question is does this mean this is the last of the winter holidays? The short answer is no, but the true answer is a lot more complex. Climate Change is going to impact the traditional resorts in terms of when they are open if they even reopen at all. The shortened season will make for more customer competition ergo rising the costs. It will also put a strain on the European Alps’ resources in terms of water to generate snow synthetically. However, it does mean we can expect resorts to start springing up closer to home and many more people the opportunity for winter holidays.