Something that many of us are beginning to consider a lot more when it comes to ski holidays is the importance of environmental responsibility. We’ve all seen the effects that the climate crisis is having on the mountains, and none of us want to live in a world without skiing…
Thankfully, there are many choices you can make in order to ski a little greener in the future, from the ski gear you buy, to your transport to the mountains and even your choice of resort! So, we’ve joined forces with Helly Hansen to discuss the small (and big!) ways you can change your ski holiday habits to be more responsible this winter.
Gear
Helly Hansen themselves are changing the game this winter when it comes to responsible ski wear, with their new LIFA INFINITY PRO™ technology. Developed with and tested by professionals, the result is a ski jacket with a fully waterproof/breathable membrane and durable water repellent performance, achieved without the use of chemicals.
Find out more: https://www.hellyhansen.com/lifa-infinity-pro/
Travel
Back in 2011, train travel company Snowcarbon commissioned carbon-consultancy Best Foot Forward to crunch the numbers when it comes to your carbon footprint when travelling to the slopes.
Say you’re travelling to Tignes from London for example…
– Plane – 82kg of C02 (per person).
– Family of four by car – 57kg of C02 pp.
– Train – just 14kg of CO2 pp!
Yes this data is a bit dated, but it goes to show just how important your travel choice can be if you are trying to ski more sustainably. Plus, if you have a hybrid or electric vehicle, as more and more of us do these days, you’ll be saving a lot more C02 than this suggests.
What’s more, a train or car journey can actually be just as comfortable as flying. Less airport stress, you just sit down, chill out and depending on how you time it, you could even get yourself an extra day on the slopes!
This winter in particular, people are seeing self-driving as one of the safer ways to travel with the Covid-19 situation.
Resort Choice
Ski resorts have been making some really impressive improvements when it comes to sustainability recently. Whether it’s Serre Chevalier aiming to be the first ski resort to produce its own electricity or Val Thorens introducing self-drive electric shuffle buses to transport skiers around the resort, we’re loving the innovation that’s happening in this space.
One of our favourite resorts making great leaps in this area is Chamonix. They really see first hand the effects of the climate crisis in Chamonix, especially up on the glacier, which has been shrinking year on year, so they’re really passionate about encouraging more sustainable skiing.
They were actually awarded the Flocon Vert label back in 2013 (a green skiing award) for their work, which includes improving public transport links to the resort to decrease road pollution in the valley, increasing solar and hydroelectric power and working to have the Mont-Blanc Massif classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Chamonix are also included in Helly Hansen’s Ski Free partnership. This means that you get a free day of skiing in one of over 50 of the best resorts worldwide when you buy a ski jacket or pants from the latest Helly Hansen ski collection.
Small Actions
Once in resort, there are a few more steps you can take to be as responsible as possible. Opt not to have your towels washed, bring reusable water bottles, recycle your rubbish, don’t use straws, have the piste map on your phone so you don’t need a paper version, go touring for the day rather than using the lifts – there’s so much we can do!
