The misunderstanding quickly blew hope.
Tuesday, November 24, Emmanuel Macron, announced that an opening of the ski lifts seemed
"impossible [...] for the holidays"
.
Position confirmed by Jean Castex on Thursday: the ski lifts will not open before January, de facto prohibiting the practice of alpine skiing at Christmas.
The Prime Minister nevertheless encourages the French, deconfined from December 15, to take advantage of our peaks for the end of year celebrations.
Surprise then anger in the mountain world, taken aback by this about-face, a consultation leading to a decision between December 5 and 8.
With regard to the specificities of the activity of ski resorts, the government's position still leaves many questions unanswered, especially as the executive also encourages the French to go to resorts for the end of season celebrations. year, if the deconfinement is confirmed on December 15.
Read also: Without downhill skiing, what you can do in the resort at Christmas
At this stage, many activities would be possible (snowshoes, walks ...) and a very specific question arises on the use of Nordic areas for the practice of cross-country skiing, which does not require any ski lift.
It is Gilles Chabert, Wednesday in the columns of Dauphiné Libéré, who was one of the first to raise the problem.
The former leader of the French instructors, elected in charge of the mountain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, specified that
“the stations are not limited to their ski lifts […] That we can always come and breathe the in the great outdoors, we may not be downhill skiing but we can snowshoe and maybe cross-country ski.
"
The domain of Autrans (Vercors).
Vincent Juraszek and Traym Prod
A speech shared since by several resorts which, since the presidential announcement, have valued the multitude of activities they offer, apart from alpine skiing, among which, among others, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. .
No densely populated areas
A vagueness therefore remains today around the Nordic areas: are they affected by the announcements of the executive?
“We listened to Jean Castex and we are certain, the ski lifts are closed
, decodes Thierry Gamot, president of Nordic France.
However, he did not mention the Nordic areas.
There may be a half-open door… ”
Nordic France, which has 130 members and brings together the managers of Nordic sites from all of the French massifs, will now contact the prefect of Savoie, Pascal Bolot, coordinator of the drafting of the “stations and Covid-19 protocol”.
Objective: to allow Nordic activity during the holidays.
Read also: Ski resorts open: Switzerland, Italy ... what our neighbors are planning for Christmas
A first letter was sent to him on November 25 to present the strength of the Nordic areas
"which will be an asset on the territories of the resorts, making it possible to offer secure access to outdoor activities"
, details the two-page letter consulted by Le Figaro, while specifying that
"Nordic activities are practiced in the heart of nature, without passing through areas with a high density of people or confined",
and "
that there are few peaks in traffic"
.
"We move in large spaces"
Even before the confinement, the actors of the French Nordic had highlighted these specificities of the practice, in particular by pointing out its health benefits and with regard to the various health protocols put in place in the world of sport.
“We are ticking all the boxes to welcome as many people as possible in a secure sanitary environment
,” explains Stéphane Grosset, director of Alpinum Events and giant of the four-season Nordic area of Contamines-Montjoie (Haute-Savoie).
People need to get away from it all and Nordic practice is a possible option.
"
On the Nordic ski area of Font-Romeu (Pyrenees).
All the French massifs allow you to practice cross-country skiing.
OT Font-Romeu
A position shared by the mayor of Bessans (Savoie), Jérémy Tracq:
“We do not dissociate ourselves from other resorts in our approach, but among the activities associated with alpine skiing, Nordic skiing respects health rules.
In cross-country skiing, for example, injuries are rarer and we move in wide open spaces.
The specificity of the Nordic must be taken into account ”
, he supports.
The Savoyard resort, which practices snow-farming (snow is stored under sawdust at the end of winter to be used the following season), has been welcoming since November 7 on a 2 km loop (maintained and traced) the members of the French Nordic ski teams.
A decree authorizes the practice within the limit of 20 km and 3 hours between November 28 and December 15
From Saturday November 28, local clubs should be able to visit there as well.
Hence the issue of a necessary clarification from the government around the question of the North.
And this before the holidays.
“The practice of clubs and schools is currently authorized in the fields
,” explains Stéphane Grosset.
What do we do ?
We open the areas for these populations and not for the others during the holidays?
"
The Glières plateau (Haute-Savoie).
HSN
"People will come to the mountains whether they are vacationers, locals or secondary residents
," explains André Perrillat, the mayor of Grand-Bornand.
How do we welcome them if they practice snowshoeing for example?
"
The sector will in any case practice a full-scale trial run from this Saturday.
As indicated by France Bleu Besançon, cross-country skiing, practiced individually, within the limit of an outing within a radius of 20 km and a period of 3 hours, will be authorized from Saturday, November 28 and until 'to December 15.
An "exception" made possible by a decree to be published on November 28 by the Ministry of Sports.
The text would authorize the practice of individual outdoor sports such as cycling, golf, running and Nordic skiing, until December 15, date of deconfinement.
Beyond that, the question remains open.
