Sustainable development and ski area

The Val Cenis ski area stands out for its commitment to sustainable development and the protection of the Alpine environment: energy sobriety, species protection, 100% electric snow groomers.

Optimization of the energy consumption of ski lifts

As part of its drive to reduce energy consumption and conserve resources, Val Cenis constantly adapts the power consumption of its lifts (control rooms, electric motors) to the presence and number of guests on the lifts.

Limited traffic = limited speed = limited consumption

The Val Cenis Le Haut gondola lift and the Arcelle and La Ramasse chairlifts are equipped with devices that detect whether or not the lifts are heavily used. In off-peak periods (January or lunchtime in March, for example), the lifts automatically run more slowly, thus consuming less energy. On the other hand, when there are a lot of skiers, the devices speed up the flow to avoid long waiting times for skiers.

Heat recovery

The non-sacred room at the top of the Vieux Moulin gondola is also heated by recovering the heat produced by the lift. This optimization was made possible by work carried out in 2020 on this latest generation 10-seater gondola lift, which also consumes less energy than the old lifts.

Val Cenis
Nature and skiing at Val Cenis, ibex
Protection of the fauna and flora

As part of a partnership between the Val Cenis ski area and the Vanoise National Park, Val Cenis is committed to the management and protection of flora and fauna at Haute Maurienne Vanoise.

Val Cenis is one of the 3 pilot areas for the European POIA Birdski project, which aims to monitor the black grouse, an emblematic bird of the Alps, in :

  • Creating quiet zones for the black grouse.
  • Equipping certain ski lift cables to avoid bird strikes.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of these actions for the protection of the environment.

At the end of the 3-year project, all ski areas in the French Alps will benefit from the feedback from the actions carried out with the Val Cenis ski area.

Protection of the black grouse habitat

The black grouse, a beautiful bird whose male displays red wattles and a lyre-shaped tail, is a vulnerable species. Present in the Vanoise region, and in the heart of the Val Cenis ski area, its numbers are generally declining. Listed in the European Birds Directive, the black grouse is the focus of particular attention.

Protect the black grouse: respect the quiet zones

On the ski area, quiet zones have been created for the black grouse by the ski lift teams in collaboration with the Vanoise National Park. Even if the powder fields attract you, preserve these small sectors where the grouse spend the winter. Because if they are disturbed by skiers or snowshoers, the grouse fly away. Normal for a bird? Yes, but in winter, with the cold and limited resources, they need to stay on the ground, hidden in the snow, to conserve their energy. The quiet zones are perfectly indicated, respect them and enjoy the rest of the domain!

Discover the Black Grouse environment on the Val Cenis Vanoise NP-T.Faivre
Green Snowflake
100% electric snowcat: Val Cenis pioneer in France

Val Cenis is the first French resort to equip itself with an electric snow groomer. A long-awaited milestone for all lift companies, to reduce the use of fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions and fine particles in the mountains.

In 2019, Val Cenis was already the first resort in France to test HVO for its groomers, a fuel with very low emissions. As of winter 2022-2023, the Val Cenis resort has gone one step further with a new 100% electric groomer.

The ski area's teams use the new "Husky E-motion" from Prinoth, a groomer adapted to the preparation of cross-country ski and sled runs, play areas, footpaths and the foot of the slopes. All in silence! Appreciable for use on the snow front, near tourist residences.

Development of a new model for mountain resorts
Val Cenis is actively involved in the process of imagining a new model for mountain resorts.

Val Cenis and the ski area is working with other mountain stakeholders to prepare the future of ski resorts in France.

Domaines Skiables de France carbon footprint: development of an energy consumption measurement tool to implement new tools to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ski resorts.

European Smart Altitude project: an approach to help ski resort operators and policy makers plan, optimize and implement climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Sustainable Tourism Chair at Savoie Mont Blanc University: collectively creating new sustainable business models to meet the challenges of mountain tourism. This approach has a strong impact because it allows us to imagine a paradigm shift, to provide an in-depth diagnosis, to identify the contributions of stakeholders and to involve them in the process.

General Assembly of the Transition of Tourism in the Mountains: to gather all the actors of the mountain ecosystem around the issues of transition of tourism to work together to build solutions for the future of mountain territories

Coming to Val Cenis