The French Ski School (ESF) at Les Deux Alpes is one of the pilot schools for the ‘Culture Montagne’ programme, an initiative designed to raise awareness among skiers and locals of the environmental and social issues involved in skiing. This educational programme, which is integrated into ski lessons, aims to pass on knowledge about the mountain environment, the water cycle and the impact of skiing on the environment, in particular the production of artificial snow.
‘Culture Montagne’, a programme born out of the need to explain the mountains
The origins of the ’ Culture Montagne ’ programme can be traced back to a reflection on the place of skiing in the public debate, particularly in the face of criticism of the impact of developments in the mountains. For a long time, ski instructors have felt the need to explain to children and adults the specific characteristics of the mountain environment. This need has been reinforced by the rise in environmental issues surrounding snow production and sustainable development.
‘ We have quite a few critics of skiing and mountain development. Often, it’s people who speak out, but who don’t know the environment or the activity all year round ‘ explains Xavier SILLON, Director of the ESF des 2 Alpes. To remedy these misunderstandings, the national union of ski instructors has decided to ‘get to grips with the subject’ and propose educational solutions. The aim? To raise awareness among both locals and visitors, but also to explain that the ESF’s actions are not just seasonal, but form part of an annual cycle.
The resort of Les Deux Alpes lends itself particularly well to this exercise thanks to its glacier, which for a long time enabled summer skiing. Although climatic conditions are now making this practice more complex, the resort remains an ideal laboratory for illustrating the challenges of an active mountain all year round, offering spring skiing on the glacier until the beginning of July.
The central role of instructors: essential links between the mountains and visitors
The ’ Culture Montagne ’ initiative is based on a central element: the role of ski instructors as intermediaries between the mountains and visitors. These professionals, in direct contact with skiers, play a key role in passing on knowledge and raising awareness of environmental issues.
Through their explanations and exchanges, ski instructors establish a unique link between local realities and visitors, whether they are novices or experienced skiers. Their involvement goes beyond learning to ski: it encompasses the transmission of a way of life and respect for the environment that are essential to preserving the mountains.
‘Culture Montagne’, environmental education at the heart of skiing
The project is structured around different themes. As mentioned above, the instructors play an essential role in passing on this knowledge, with teaching aids such as information fans distributed to them at the start of the season.
The project is structured around different themes. The instructors play a key role in passing on this knowledge, with teaching aids such as information fans distributed to them at the start of the season.
‘We distributed these fans to the instructors who wanted them, so that they could get to grips with this approach and, little by little, present it to their pupils during the week”, explains Xavier SILLON. While some instructors are enthusiastic about the idea of taking part in this programme, others are still reluctant. ‘Some instructors are very interested in this approach and we can see that there is a real need for it,” says Xavier. ‘Yes, we’ve all received it, all the ESF instructors have had it,’ stresses Cédric, an ESF instructor interviewed on the resort’s slopes.
A wealth of educational content for all ages
The Culture Montagne programme is aimed at everyone, but is designed to evolve according to the age and understanding of the pupils. Children, for example, learn about simple issues such as local wildlife, snow production and the impact of tourism. Adults, on the other hand, are invited to reflect on more complex subjects, such as transport and carbon footprint. ‘I think that children are much more aware of the issue because, depending on their age group, they have already talked about certain subjects such as the water cycle at school, and it’s a loop that will close again”, explains the Director of the ESF des 2 Alpes.
Places and workshops to understand the mountains
At Les 2 Alpes, the project also includes visual tools to support teaching, such as a tarpaulin in the Crêtes area illustrating winter and summer activities. This support allows the instructors to stop with their pupils and talk about certain subjects. It also gives visitors an overview of the impact of our activities on the environment and natural resources.
The instructors are also free to take their groups to different parts of the resort to provide additional explanations. At the top of the glacier, at an altitude of 3400m, Cédric explains his approach with a group of English skiers: ‘ I took my group to the Belvedere 3400 to show them the view, then I talked to them about the Ecrins National Park, how the resort works, the glacier and how it has changed over the last twenty years or so ’.
These practical workshops complement traditional ski lessons by offering an essential educational dimension. They enable pupils to acquire useful knowledge to help them understand the challenges of the mountains and better understand their environment.
‘Culture Montagne’: raising awareness of a sustainable future
One of the major challenges of Culture Montagne, for example, is to explain that, far from polluting, artificial snow helps to regulate the water cycle. “Water is stored at altitude in a different form, in solid form, for snow. This water is redistributed in the water cycle in a rather linear and gentle way”. This explanation is designed to reassure visitors and dispel fears about the ecological impact of snow cannons.
In addition to snow production, the ‘ Culture Montagne ’ project also highlights other concrete actions, such as waste management on the glacier and the optimisation of clean snow.On the resort’s new uncovered car park, when it has just snowed heavily, and as long as the cars have not yet been driven, the snow is clean. So we collect it and spread it on the snow front. We’re trying to communicate to explain this, to say that the lorries are carrying snow, but we’re not going to throw it away: if it’s clean, we’ll reuse it’, explains Xavier Sillon.
The involvement of the instructors, like Cédric, also strengthens the scope of the programme. By sharing their daily lives and explaining their way of life, they give visitors a better understanding of the local issues and make them aware of the efforts being made to preserve this unique environment.
The ESF des 2 Alpes, a key player in the sustainable transition
As a pilot school, the ESF des 2 Alpes plays a crucial role in the evaluation and continuous improvement of ’ Culture Montagne ’. Feedback from instructors and pupils is used to adjust the teaching tools and gradually extend the scope of the programme to other resorts. ‘We’re carrying out an initial trial with 10 pilot schools in France, and after that we’ll see how we can make adjustments,” confides Xavier Sillon.
This project, which is part of a long-term approach, demonstrates that the mountains can be a place of transmission, awareness-raising and innovation. Through ‘ Culture Montagne’, the ESF des 2 Alpes is showing that it is possible to reconcile tourism with preservation of the natural environment, while offering visitors a rich and educational experience.
