A small ski area that is (or was) however part of one of France and Europe's biggest ski regions has decided to offer free skiing this winter. Euronews reports, however, that that's not really good news – it's an attempt to curb losses which have been growing for 25 years due to climate change.
The small Alpine resort of Saint‑Colomban‑des‑Villards, part of the France's fourth biggest ski areas Les Sybelles, is taking the unusual step of offering skiing completely free, but at the same time drastically cutting the amount of skiing it offers.
The move isn't a marketing stunt but a financial necessity for the village whose ski area has been losing money for more than two decades due to rising operating costs and unreliable snowfall at its 1100m elevation due to climate change.
This winter, a reduced ski area will operate with two drag lifts and a children's conveyor belt, aimed mainly at beginners and families. Running it for free is expected to cost €150,000 to €200,000—far less than previous seasons. A crucial part of the decision to run lifts for free was that staffing a lift office was expected to cost substantially more than the revenues ticket sales would bring in.
Saint‑Colomban‑des‑Villards said its operating deficit grew to an unsustainable €1 million in 2025. With a municipal budget of just €2.7 million, the town could no longer justify spending almost 40 per cent of its funds on a loss‑making operation and was under pressure from regional authorities to cut expenses. However they decided to keep the small area open to reduce the impact of closure of local businesses.
Previously, Saint‑Colomban‑des‑Villards ski area extended to around 70km of slopes with 19 trails (3 green, 10 blue, 5 red and 1 black) served by 7 ski lifts. Although there has been no official change to the 310km of slopes claimed by Les Sybelles it appears the ski area's removal from the pass reduces it to less than 250km.
For the village's Mayor Pierre-Yves Bonnivard, the move signals a shift toward a future less dependent on alpine skiing. The village is now investing in snowshoeing, walking routes and year‑round outdoor activities as it works to build a more sustainable, four‑season tourism model. They will assess how this switch and the free-skiing model is going in April.
"At 1,100 metres, alpine skiing is ultimately doomed to disappear," Bonnivard told Euronews, noting that, "climate change is progressing faster than anticipated, especially in the Alps.