- Can you briefly introduce yourself and your connection with the mountains?
"My name is Paul, I'm 18 years old, I come from the Paris region and I've been passionate about the mountains since I was a kid. I immersed myself in mountaineering and ski touring. The mountains are much more than a passion for me; it's where I feel truly at home."
"My name is Rémi, I'm 22 and I've been a ski instructor since 2020, based in Serre Chevalier. After taking part in the European Cup, I passed my monitorat to share my passion. The mountains are my playground, my garden. »
"My name is Corinne Chanfray, I'm 57 years old, and I'm the mayor of Saint-Chaffrey. The mountains are in my DNA. For me, the mountains represent much more than a consumerist leisure destination, but a simple space that must remain open to all."
- Have you noticed how the mountains have changed in recent years?
"I feel the effects of global warming in my daily mountaineering activities. Snowfalls are becoming more random, with an increasingly unpredictable frequency, making risk management more and more complex."
"From where I live, I can see with my own eyes that every year the snow melts a little more on the mountains, the glaciers are shrinking. Snow conditions have changed radically; what used to be measured in meters is now counted in centimeters. At the bottom of the resorts, snow is becoming increasingly scarce, making it impossible for many beginners to learn to ski."
"Climate change is well and truly present, and in January we could have temperatures reminiscent of April. As mayor, these weather conditions pose considerable challenges, and require constant adaptation by our services and our community."
- Do you personally take steps to protect the mountains?
"When I embark on a ski touring or mountaineering outing, I always make sure I'm accompanied by a guide, or at least that I've consulted one beforehand. We've noticed that the alpine environment requires an increasingly informed and cautious approach."
"The most important measure for me is to limit my travel as much as possible. It's my way of reducing my carbon footprint and taking care of our environment."
"We have launched a number of awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the general public. The aim is to raise collective awareness. The aim is not to create fear, but rather to draw attention to a worrying reality and encourage responsible behavior."
- Is skiing dead ?
"Ski touring could be transformed towards a more specialized and safer approach. For mountaineering, I expect practice to become more incalculable and random, with increased exposure to risk. I fear that in the future, it won't be easy to enjoy the mountains freely. "
"Skiing as we know it may not last 20 years. It would be unrealistic to claim that skiing is a sport of the future. The future of winter sports will inevitably be marked by the sobriety of our actions and our ability to adapt."
"No, skiing is not dead. High-altitude resorts don't have much to worry about. In my opinion, the main challenge today is to democratize skiing and give even the youngest skiers access to it, without stigmatizing the activity."