Tignes & The Indoor Ski Slope
Here at Snowbus HQ we try to keep an eye out for any interesting news going on in the world of skiing. This past week we saw a story in the national press which involved a new and exciting project for our own winter home of Tignes. Plans have been approved for a large-scale project to improve Tignes already impressive facilities – but they may not seem like the most obvious choice for one of the most snow-sure resorts in Europe…
The local region council has approved plans for an indoor ski slope, which will also feature an surf pool at its base. It surprised us at first too! Now, it’s still a way off completion as the finances have yet to be finalised – but it’s got us quite excited, and here’s a few reasons why:
- The snow centre will be similar in size to Dubai’s indoor piste and will have its own chairlift, plus a swimming pool, shopping mall and a huge Club Med hotel.
- With climate change a worry for everyone (except Donald Trump) this project will allow these two weather-dependent sports to be conducted 365 days a year.
- When completed the Ski Line snow centre will be powered by hydroelectricity from the town’s (currently unused) dam, as well as solar panels and a biomass boiler.
- During the winter the snow will be real (as it is on a real piste anyway) and in the summer there will be artificial snowmaking facilities for the summer.
We think it’s a bold approach and represents a real forward-thinking approach from Tignes as glaciers around the world continue to shrink. The Mayor of Tignes says that the Grande Motte glacier has lost 30% of it’s skiable area so this project will ensure the future of the resort.
There is some opposition from Nature groups who believe that the new building ‘does not respect the mountains’, which we can understand. We’re hoping that with all the use of renewable energy though this is a project that can be beneficial to its surroundings and make Tignes even better than it already is.
