Le Figaro Nice
It was unexpected.
Questioned by
Le Figaro
at the end of last week, the mayor of Roubion, a small ski resort located 45 minutes from Nice, in the Tinée valley, did not hide his despair at the cruel lack of snow in the ski area.
With almost spring-like weather for several weeks, the idea of starting one of the resort's eight ski lifts was not even an option.
What’s the point of skiing on
“grass”
?
And yet, in just two days, thanks to a Mediterranean episode which turned into a snowy episode at altitude, several tens of centimeters of powder fell.
Heavy flakes received like providence, especially in the middle of school holidays (from zone B, that of Nice).
“30 centimeters at the bottom and 50 at the top!”
, now rejoices the city councilor, Philip Bruno.
Enough to put into service, from Tuesday, a good part of the twenty or so slopes in Roubion.
“We are opening the station this afternoon gradually and we hope that tomorrow it will take off in full force, with almost all of the slopes open
,” says the mayor, delighted.
And he added, cautiously:
“We will still take the time to secure the area, to groom the slopes as required, to take the necessary precautions with regard to the risk of avalanches.”
Roubion under the snow again
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Read also In the middle of school holidays, these ski resorts threatened by lack of snow
Reservations keep coming
The latter still can't believe it.
Roubion was resuscitated.
“We haven’t had such a wide opening in the field since Covid
,” observes Philip Bruno.
“It’s the little boost that we were missing
,” he adds.
The chief magistrate of the small mountain town is above all relieved for his hundred employees, many of whom work on site:
“It is very good for traders, ski rental companies, those who provide accommodation, etc.
the entire economic life of the village is regaining color.
And for skiers, it’s a bit of an after-hours Christmas present!”
Moreover, since Monday, reservations have increased.
“We don’t have time to put down the phone, it rings constantly
,” swears the mayor.
It must be said that the package at 20 euros per day on average makes Roubion one of the cheapest resorts in France.
The mayor is hopeful that this snow, which he describes as
“miraculous”
, will last until the end of the winter holidays.
Maybe more.
“We will do what we can to maintain it, but if temperatures explode again, we will not go much further
,” he concedes.
This “miracle” is, moreover, a nice snub to the Court of Auditors which, in its report of February 6 on “Mountain resorts facing climate change”, classified Roubion among the ten most vulnerable sites in France.
Thus giving it the worst climate index on the list and pointing out the financial cost for public finances.