Financial mismanagement at St Jean d'Aulps
A recent report from the Regional Accounts Office has raised serious concerns about the governance of the Saint-Jean-d'Aulps ski resort, particularly the Roc d’Enfer ski area, which the commune shares with Bellevaux.
The report criticizes the 2022 renewal of the public service delegation granted to the SEM Roc d’Enfer—a company 85% owned by the commune—without any competitive bidding process. This lack of transparency and oversight, both toward the municipal council and the public, was labeled irregular and worrying, especially considering the resort's fragile financial state.
The SEM Roc d’Enfer has been running an average annual deficit of €136,282 between 2019 and 2023. The report attributes the financial woes not only to reduced snowfall but also to rising external and personnel costs. The Office warns that unless the company is dissolved, the municipality will soon need to recapitalize it.
In terms of future sustainability, the outlook is grim. Natural snowfall is already described as "almost non-existent." Despite owning 135 snow cannons, the resort cannot ensure snow coverage due to the shrinking windows of cold weather needed for artificial snow production. Additionally, the station has failed to comply with water extraction regulations necessary for operating its snow cannons. At Christmas 2023 the resort even brought in snow by helicopter, a practise described as being "from another epoc" by locals.
The municipality has also been criticized for developing snow-free activities funded by regional and departmental grants—without coordinating with the intercommunal tourism authorities, which legally hold the tourism competency.
In response to this mismanagement, the Regional Accounts Office has issued eight recommendations aimed at improving governance and financial sustainability.
It is not the first time the ski area has been in court. In 2023 it was found guilty of nine violations of forestry and town planning codes, the Chablais resort was sentenced to a suspended fine and ordered to bring the Chanterelle ski slope up to standard at its own expense. The resort had felled 1.5 hectares of forest to build the run without seeking permission. A report from March 2025 said there had been no avalanche study for the piste and that it was in a zone of high rockfall and landslide risk.
Chanterelle piste
Hautacam: A Pyrenean Ski Resort Abandons Skiing
After three consecutive winters with very little snowfall, the Hautacam ski resort in the French Pyrenees has decided to cease ski operations entirely. Despite prior investments in a "four-season" development model, the continued lack of snow has resulted in a financial deficit of €1.44 million—more than double that of previous years.
The resort's moderate elevation (between 1500 and 1800 meters) and its exposure to climate variations have made ski operations increasingly unsustainable. In a joint statement, local officials cited climate change and the mounting costs and risks of maintaining ski infrastructure as key reasons for the closure.
They questioned the viability of maintaining a ski offering, especially one targeted at beginners, when there is no guarantee of snow—and when ski clubs and schools have already abandoned the site due to these uncertainties.
While ski operations will end, the resort will remain open year-round, focusing on leisure, dining, and snow-independent outdoor activities. A beginner ski area will still be available during winter.
However, the decision has sparked backlash. A petition against the closure has gathered nearly 1,000 signatures, with many expressing frustration over the loss of what they describe as a "family-friendly," "accessible," and "human-scale" resort. Some users called it a shame to see a “symbol of the valley” disappear.
Despite the opposition, local leaders insist they will protect and reinvent the site, vowing to create "a new Hautacam" that remains vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable—an emblem of adaptation in the face of an uncertain future for mid-altitude ski areas.