Carlos Guajardo placeholder image
08/02/2021 12:27
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 08/02/2021 12:27 PM
“It was a very tough decision.
But we are
a ski center
and not a mountain walk ”,
Gustavo Simieli, director of tourism at Esquel
, told
Clarín
.
His statement had to do with the decision to close the ski center due to lack of snow.
“I've been in this city for 20 years and
I can't remember a winter as warm as this one
.
It is unpublished.
And just when we could trace a bit what happened to us last year due to the issue of the pandemic.
And paradoxically, last year there was snow everywhere, "added the official.
Both Esquel and the entire province of Chubut are experiencing an atypical winter.
With temperatures that last week
passed 15 degrees
.
In addition to the lack of snow, there was also little rain.
"We are experiencing the worst drought in the last 30 years," Valentín Cittadini, the head of the Provincial Water Institute, told this newspaper.
And they fear that a difficult summer is coming in terms of
lack of water
. There will not be enough thaw as it has not snowed and there is feared an important lack in the so-called Senguer Basin ”that covers a large part of the mountain range. That is why they are going to declare a “water emergency”.
As for La Hoya, the last weekends it became a place for walks.
As a
"pedestrian in the mountains"
, because a significant number of tourists came to the mountain range on the occasion of the winter holidays.
“We had an occupancy close to
45 percent,
which for us was very good.
But we did not have a single day conducive to skiers.
We tried the resource of enabling walks on the hill, with the little snow that there was.
But we are a ski center, not a mountain walk, ”said Simieli.
Other times.
The tracks covered with snow.
This year it could not be and La Hoya had to close./Jornada
Already on Saturday, the La Hoya administration had issued an official statement regarding the closure of the center.
“We inform that as of August 2
the opening to the public
will
be temporarily suspended
.
Current snow conditions and temperatures do not allow us to continue to offer our services adequately. "
The statement continued: "All the staff have made a great effort during the last three weeks in order to be able to offer our visitors the possibility of enjoying the mountain. But the climatic and meteorological conditions prevent us from continuing in the desired way. We hope to have enough snow to see us again as soon as possible ”.
Hopes are now pinned on the long weekend of August 17th.
Although many say that although snow and enough will be too late.
Chubut. Correspondent
PS
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