Pralognan-la-Vanoise, a Savoyard village resort nicknamed ‘Little Chamonix’, formally joined the Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) group on 1 November 2025. This date marks the start of a 25-year public service delegation (DSP) entrusted to CDA for the development and operation of the entire Pralognan mountain area (alpine ski area, Nordic skiing and booking centre). The new operating company, named Pralognan – Domaine de Montagne (PDM), will now be responsible for managing the resort on behalf of the municipality for the period 2025–2050.
Pralognan la Vanoise, a unique resort: National Park, Olympic heritage and dual seasonality
Pralognan-la-Vanoise is not a resort like any other. ‘More than 70% of the municipal territory is located within the Vanoise National Park, which imposes a framework of intervention where environmental preservation is not a slogan, but a permanent requirement,’ says David Ponson, Director of the Ski Areas and Outdoor Activities Business Unit. Added to this is a strong Olympic heritage: the resort is home to the Olympic ice rink from the 1992 Albertville Games, now an iconic feature of the village.
But the major strategic challenge lies elsewhere: Pralognan is one of the few areas where the mountains are truly active in both summer and winter. Nordic activities and mountaineering, hiking, family tourism, authentic village life: a model of inhabited mountains, both sporting and cultural, where life continues uninterrupted throughout the year. This is precisely what today brings Pralognan-la-Vanoise closer to the strategy developed by the CDA: diversify, modernise, sustain.
The CDA plans to invest €50.5 million in the resort’s infrastructure and facilities over 25 years, starting in the early years with the replacement of the Edelweiss chairlift with a modern gondola lift (delivery expected in 2027) to increase transport capacity.
PDM governance and the place of ‘nature’
The governance of the new company Pralognan Domaine de Montagne (PDM) is based on a model that is unprecedented for a French mid-mountain resort. It combines the industrial expertise of Compagnie des Alpes, the experience and local knowledge of local stakeholders, and a third voice that is now essential: that of living nature.
The municipality of Pralognan, which until now has managed the ski area through a semi-public company (SAEM Sogespral, whose board of directors was predominantly municipal), retains a structuring role in monitoring the delegation. An annual committee, chaired by the mayor, will ensure transparency, the sharing of objectives and the assessment of impacts.
But the major change lies in the introduction, within the PDM board of directors, of a seat reserved for the ‘voice of nature’. This position, with the same voting rights as the other directors, will be entrusted to a legitimate representative of environmental issues — for example, from the Vanoise National Park or an organisation with expertise in the protection of living organisms. This innovation is in line with the commitment of the Compagnie des Alpes ski areas to the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat (CEC), a national programme that supports managers in integrating planetary boundaries into their strategic governance. One question now dominates the discussions: who will be the voice of nature?
By appointing a director dedicated to nature, Pralognan la Vanoise and CDA intend to make the management of the ski area part of an exemplary sustainable development approach, in line with the resort’s location at the gateway to the national park.
The CDA Brief 2025 event in Pralognan: key themes and presentations
Every year, the Compagnie des Alpes’ Ski Areas and Outdoor Activities BU organises an internal seminar called ‘CDA Brief’, bringing together its employees to discuss the group’s strategic and forward-looking issues. ‘This event, prepared by the CDA teams, has become an essential opportunity to get together, reflect and redefine the meaning of our professions,’ emphasises David Ponson. ‘We chose Pralognan not only to mark its integration, but also because this area embodies a living, inhabited mountain, rooted in history and looking to the future.’
Several major themes were addressed this year. ‘We wanted to bring together different perspectives and disciplines. Each in their own way helps us to think about the mountains differently, to open up new possibilities and to confront our practices with new demands,’ explained David Ponson.
Chaos and contemporary imperatives – Presentation by Matthieu Dardaillon
Matthieu Dardaillon, author and social entrepreneur (co-founder of Ticket for Change and author of the book Anti-Chaos), was invited to share his thoughts on ‘chaos theory’ as it applies to today’s world and on the paradoxical imperatives facing our societies and organisations.
His presentation focused in particular on how to ‘live and act better in our chaotic world’ by seeking a balance between often contradictory imperatives (accelerate vs. slow down, innovate vs. preserve) and imagining more harmonious futures. This intellectual perspective provided the CDA teams with insights for navigating uncertainty and reconciling economic performance with societal purpose.
Screening of the film ‘La Faille’ and collaborative discussion
Participants in the CDA Brief 2025 then attended a screening of ‘La Faille’, a short fiction film produced in-house by Compagnie des Alpes. This film, with its unique tone combining anticipation and collective reflection, tackles head-on the environmental and social issues related to the future of mountain regions. ‘It was designed and distributed with the aim of inviting everyone to think about the future of the mountains, to take action and to allow themselves to explore new avenues,’ explains David Ponson.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher: a cross-disciplinary perspective on industry and ecological transition
Agnès Pannier-Runacher’s speech at the CDA Brief 2025 proved particularly relevant in light of the challenges discussed during the seminar. Her message – combining lucidity on the climate emergency and an invitation to innovate in order to reinvent the Alpine model – echoed the theme of the future of the mountains addressed during the event. Praising the group’s efforts, she emphasised the importance of combining economic attractiveness with environmental adaptation.
David Ponson also pointed out at the start of the session that her attendance had been made possible by a particular period of transition: “Agnès is currently in a transitional phase, at the end of her term as minister and just before resuming her term as a member of parliament. This breathing space has allowed her to accept our invitation, for which we are deeply grateful.” This availability allowed her to offer a perspective that was both committed and liberated, rich in her public and private experience.
Nils Allègre: signing of a partnership based on shared values
The 2025 edition of the CDA Brief in Pralognan was also marked by the presence of skier Nils Allègre. His participation was part of the signing of a partnership between the Domaines Skiables de la Compagnie des Alpes based on shared values: commitment, passion, safety and sporting excellence. Originally from the Hautes-Alpes (Serre Chevalier) and winner of a World Cup Super-G event, Nils Allègre embodies the new generation of French skiing champions.
Historic carbon-free transport in the Pralognan valley
Today’s focus on the environment is part of a local history in which soft mobility once played an essential role. Indeed, from the end of the 19th century, the Bozel valley (at the foot of Pralognan) was a pioneer in carbon-free transport. An electric tramway once linked Moûtiers to Brides-les-Bains and Bozel: launched in 1899, this tramway was powered by local hydroelectricity (a dedicated penstock and power station) and transported spa guests and travellers to the villages of the upper Tarentaise.
Faced with maintenance costs and competition from road transport, the tramway line ceased operation in 1928, but was immediately replaced by an innovative system of ‘electrobus’ (trolleybus) running on tyres and powered by overhead lines. This electric trolleybus, extended to the village of Villard-de-Planay via Bozel, served the valley from 1930 until 1965, when it was discontinued in favour of conventional buses. Thus, until the 1960s, access to Pralognan and its region was via 100% electric public transport, foreshadowing today’s concerns about sustainable mobility. The historic trolleybus garage in Bozel still bears witness to this ‘silent revolution’ of the time, when the mountains were already a testing ground for innovation in pollution-free transport.
The first few months of collaboration with Compagnie des Alpes point to ‘new heights’ for this exceptional destination, where tourism excellence now goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility and territorial cohesion. Local stakeholders and the CDA’s new partners share the same ambition: to preserve this ‘paradise in the heart of the national park’ while preparing it for the challenges of tomorrow, so that Pralognan remains, summer and winter alike, the pride of the Vanoise and a living laboratory for the mountains of tomorrow.
