Lack of Snow Closes French Ski Resort

Men look down to the valley from the mountains of Abondance, in the Savoie region, French Alps, Wednesday, July 11, 2007. Muddy slopes, slushy peaks, unused lifts, this town in the French Alps is living out the nightmare of many a ski resort in a century scientists say is doomed to keep getting warmer. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani) (Laurent Cipriani - AP)

ABONDANCE, France -- Muddy slopes, slushy peaks, unused lifts _ this town in the French Alps is living out the nightmare of many a ski resort in a century scientists say is doomed to keep getting warmer.

The city council of Abondance _ its name a cruel reminder of the generous snowfall it once enjoyed _ voted last month 9-6 to shut down the ski station that has been its economic raison d'etre for more than 40 years. The reason: not enough snow.

Abondance is the French Alps' first ski station to fall apparent victim to global warming. It will almost certainly not be the last.

At 3,051 feet, this station between Mont Blanc and Lake Leman falls in the altitude range climate scientists say has seen the most dramatic drop in snowfall in recent generations.

The Alps as a whole, which pull in about 70 million tourists every year primarily for winter sports, are "particularly sensitive" to climate change, according to a study last winter by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It calls climate change a serious threat to Alpine ski resorts and the regional economies that depend on them. The most recent World Cup ski circuit was badly hit by lack of snow, with several races in the Alps _ even at high altitudes _ called off.

In Switzerland, melting permafrost has forced several companies to take technical measures to ensure their stations don't fall off the mountain.

Last week, a commercial court in Lyon put the Transmontagne company, which operates mid-altitude resorts in France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia, under bankruptcy protection for the next six months. Warming weather is seen as a key reason for its financial woes.

Abondance's troubles are alarming towns in the surrounding valleys. Homeowners fear a crash in housing prices. Neighboring La Chappelle-d'Abondance is considering changing its name to dissociate itself from the shutting station.

Abondance Mayor Serge Cettour-Meunier fears that the closure of his station is the start of a troubling trend. "Skiing is again becoming a sport for the rich," since only elite high-altitude resorts will have sufficient snowfall, he said.

The $3.03 million annual economy of his town and its 1,300 residents centers around winter sports. Last year, the lifts suffered a loss of $882,000.

"The town can no longer pay," he said.