Small French Ski Resort Closes

8th October 2024

Last modified on October 11th, 2024

Alpe du Grand Serre is a collection of six villages in the southern French Alps near Grenoble.

The resort opened 85 years ago and had 55 km of ski runs served by ten drag lifts and three chairlifts.

It is a blow to the locals who rely on the resort for employment.

Up to 200 people are reported to be affected including 25 ski instructors and their families.

A local sports shop owner, Lauranne Vincent, told France 3 television: “We are devastated and shocked. It’s a brutal decision coming two months before we were due to open. We were hoping the opposite would happen. We said all lights were green to go.”

Some low and medium level resorts are struggling due to climate change and declining snowfall.

However, it has not come out of the blue and the warning signs have been on the cards for some time.

Following dwindling snow and competition from other areas, the local council voted to close the area by a majority of 47 to 12.

The ski area is well-known to locals, but not so much further afield.

One local is regular PlanetSKI reader, Charlotte Swift.

“Awful – lovely place, fun terrain and very nice people.

“Poor marketing though for years, and relying on Grenobloises coming at the weekend.

“Now they tend to come to the bigger resorts not much further.

“Les 7 Laux does a really good job of marketing, as does Col d’Ornon (which suffers massively in poor snow3 years).”

“The community council of Matheysine has decided to close the Alpe du Grand Serre this Friday, October 4, 2024, as it can no longer bear the operating costs alone,” said a statement from the council.

“This is obviously a human, social and economic trauma for this village resort and the entire Matheysine territory.”

Two groups have been set up tor try to save the ski area,  one for corporate donations and one for members of the public to contribute.

One support group, Alpe du Grand Serre Tomorrow, said on Facebook: “The elected officials of the CCMatheysine have just announced the permanent closure of the Alpe du Grand Serre station without any accompanying plans.

“This decision is incomprehensible from a strategic point of view and reveals a terrible lack of vision, skill and confidence to successfully complete the rehabilitation project of the area and make it a transitional pilot project.”