
Glacier merger – A forced alpine marriage?

If two ski areas are connected on glaciers, this is also called glacier marriage. By merging two ski areas using ski lifts or ski slopes, a larger ski area is created and the attractiveness of the tourist region is increased.
Discussions are currently underway in Tyrol, Austria about such a merger, namely the connection of the Sölden and Pitztal ski areas. A total of 64 hectares of new slopes are to be developed and the region's added value is to be increased.
According to estimates, the state of Tyrol can gain 131.8 million euros in gross value added and Austria as a state can even gain up to 200 million euros. After completion, a further annual increase of 39 million euros for Tyrol and 53 million euros for Austria is expected.
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There are enormous sums of money involved that serve as justification for the massive intervention in the Alpine mountain landscape.
Politically, the project has already been declared “out of contention” by the local government made up of the Greens and ÖVP in the government program. Although the Greens fundamentally spoke out against the expansion of the ski areas using alternative construction methods, the approval was not vetoed.
Why is such a “glacial marriage” so controversial?
First of all, it should be noted that glaciers in Europe are continuing to recede, as they are threatened by climate change on the one hand and human intervention on the other. The development of additional ski areas, which can also be used outside of the winter season, disrupts the local flora and fauna, as, for example, leveling a slope requires the removal of larger stones, trees and other rubble that provides shelter for local animal species.
There is also great resentment in the region about the merger of the two ski areas. More than 50,000 signatures have already been collected against the project, the Alliance for the Soul of the Alps, consisting of nature lovers, WWF and the Alpine Association, has vehemently spoken out against the expansion and sent an open letter to the Tyrolean government.
It states that the expansion of the planned ski area must be stopped immediately because there is a risk of lasting damage to the natural environment on the previously untouched glacier.
The natural limits of the expansion of slopes have long been reached. A total of 750,000 cubic meters of rock would have to be removed, using massive blasting. The project initiators only speak of 120,000 cubic meters of earth movement, which is necessary for the construction of the intermediate station. There are therefore no plans to blow up the summit. Reports to the contrary were rejected by the project applicants in various media reports.
The above-mentioned project represents the classic case of a trade-off problem. If the project is carried out in its current manner, it will mean an enormous economic boom for the region.
The ski area in the Pitztal in particular is struggling with economic problems and has already been left behind by the other larger ski areas. It is hoped that the merger will provide new impetus and an economic tourism boost.
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For the regions there, winter tourism is often the only remaining economic sector that enables the region to develop further and prevents rural exodus; many regions already have villages and settlements whose population hardly contains any young people who are moving to more economically prosperous regions.
In contrast, there is the idea of nature and environmental protection as well as sustainable tourism.
Skiing is highly controversial among conservationists because a single sport requires massive intervention in nature. Slopes and ski lifts are often only operational during the winter season, despite the slow rise of summer tourism in some regions. The fact is that in order to build these, a profound change in the landscape and nature must be made, including the blasting of rocks, the deforestation of forests and the destruction of the habitat of the animals there.
In addition, a vicious circle is increasingly forming!
Due to rising temperatures due to climate change, many regions are struggling with a lack of snow and the shortening of the winter season.
Snow cannons and snow storage are already being used to ensure that the ski season can open on time.
Alternatively, further higher lying and untouched glaciers will be developed, which still offer a natural supply of snow.
However, the legitimate question to be raised here is whether, in times of climate change, it is really appropriate to continue to promote sports that require such an intervention in nature or not to focus on protecting the last remaining glaciers and untouched areas as much as possible and to preserve it instead of bulldozing it.
Author: Alexander Herberstein / Article image by Creative Travel Projects / Shutterstock.com
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