During February half term this year, we offered sustainability sessions to our kids groups in Verbier, Switzerland. The aim of these one-off sessions was to raise awareness of how we can be more sustainable within the snow sports community, which will in turn, allow us to enjoy snow sports for as long as possible. It's a great opportunity to get kids interested in preserving the mountains we love and educating others through our Eco Tribe.
SUSTAINABILITY IN SNOW SPORTS
Sustainability seems to be a word on the tip of everyone's tongue. It may sound like a bit of an oxymoron, as they're typically considered poles apart. From green ski resorts, carbon neutral travel and sustainable ski clothing, you really can ski green and it's something we need to work on, to raise awareness.
We wanted to share with you what we're doing within the snow sports community to help make skiing and snowboarding more sustainable to the younger generations. Introducing Verbier's Eco Tribe. We talked about how the holidaymakers and residents of Verbier could help and make an impact, even if only for a short time. These one-off sessions brought everyone together to collectively protect our winters.
The kids ski lessons had an eco theme all week and they got involved by picking up litter on the slopes, learning about the sustainable initiatives in Verbier in and listening to a speech from a local MP. It was great to see so many parents getting involved to, learning how they can make an impact, but also encouraging their children to get involved too.
What is Verbier doing to be more eco-friendly?
- Free buses around the town to reduce the number of cars used.
- Tripled glazed windows in the chalets and hotels to reduce energy waste. Many hotels have remote heating monitors so the buildings are only heated when necessary.
- Heat produced by the lifts are then used to heat the buildings.
- Lift speeds vary on the Lac de Vaux so they run slower when there are less people to reduce the energy consumption.
- Piste bashers can measure the snow depth to know where to move snow if there is more in some places than others.
- All modern snow canons use less energy and water than they used to.
- Many of the lift stations have thermal solar panels used to heat water which is then used in the nearby mountain restaurants.
We're really pleased to be in an industry surrounded by so many non-profit organisations that strive to turn outdoor enthusiasts into climate advocates. Protect Our Winters (POW) is a great example of an initiative spreading the word on how we can make skiing and snowboarding more sustainable. If you want to find out more on ways to be sustainable on your next ski trip, take a look at our list of sustainable ski trip ideas.
