Avoriaz

Avoriaz: green factor

• Introduction to green factor assessments
• Environmental overview of resorts
• Environmental initiatives

Major Initiatives

40 Years Of Respecting The Environment
Since their first steps up on the high plateau in the 1960s, the developer and architects of Avoriaz have always considered that the site’s greatest asset was the fabulous natural setting, reserving for visitors the most beautiful and peaceful mountain scenery.

It’s therefore hardly surprising that those constructing the resort have always ensured that this natural heritage is respected. Right from the very start, they stated their intentions to build a resort that was in perfect harmony with its environment, using as much as possible the mountain as décor in what they created.

Pioneers of Ecological Resort Development.
Since its creation in 1966, Avoriaz was based on the unique concept in France of a pedestrian resort. This original concept is today more than ever appreciated by holiday-makers, who are freed from the burden of daily life: urban traffic, public transport, and traffic jams, whilst being able to benefit from the fresh air that one comes to the mountains for.

In this way this pedestrian resort has managed to fight against different sources of pollution: road traffic, noise, air pollution and visual pollution generated by the flow of automobiles…

Green Building
Even before the word was coined, ‘eco-construction’ was already in use in Avoriaz:
• On the roofs, with snow-bars designed to hold the snow on and insure thermal insulation,
• The facades, covered with wooden tiles that also insure thermal insulation, and are a natural material, as opposed to many resorts of this era that used concrete as their unique building material,
• The balconies, separate from the main building, resulting in a total rupture of the thermal bridge. This meant that the exterior humidity and cold didn’t penetrate into the inside of the building…
• Heating, using only electricity and not the more polluting oil.

Fantastically... ecological
In 1974, long before saving the environment had become newsworthy and the term sustainable development was coined, the Fantasy film festival treated this important question in a science-fiction film called ‘Soylent Green’ by Richard Fleischer. The American film director depicted a sombre future for a society that has used up all its natural resources, and in the process destroyed the countryside. In order that this work of fiction was credible, Richard Fleischer employed a technical advisor who was well informed on the subject: Frank R. Bowerman, previously president of the American Academy for Environmental Protection. Soylent Green was awarded the Grand Prix by the Avoriaz international fantasy film festival.

Maintaining Bio-Diversity
The designers had the wisdom to take into account the fact that Avoriaz, before becoming a ski resort, was mountain pastureland.

In the 80s, Avoriaz was one of the first resorts to sow grass on their ski-runs. Actually, the presence of grass helps the snow to stick to the ground, and just a few centimetres is sufficient to guarantee an earlier opening of the ski area at the beginning of the season.

This grass meant better food for herds and flocks that trekked up to the summer grazing lands, as most of the ski area transforms into meadows around June: the Crôt, the Serraussaix, the Lécherette/ Brochaux, the Lindarets,...

Avoriaz has a policy of respectful development in areas where there is a lot of game, where chamois and chevreuils abound (Joux Verte, Super Morzine,..). The battle with the undergrowth (strimming work undertaken by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the SERMA c ompany whgich operates the ski lifts) has not only meant that the open pasture land remains intact, but that fauna populations are protected, some of which are being threatened with extinction (grouse).

Reforestation
In order to develop its ski area, Avoriaz has undertaken to replant as many trees as it cuts down when tracing new ski runs,

Natural avalanche barriers: ugly metal avalanche barriers have been replaced with pine ones. This work, again entrusted to the Forestry Commission, has meant that conifers have been planted on the terraced slopes, which fix and hold the snow. For example, the Avoriaz ridge.

In the 90s, Avoriaz, together with Thonon mineral water, carried out a reforestation campaign (Super Morzine, Lindarets,…) involving schools in the region, aimed at raising their environmental awareness.

In the middle of the resort, ALDA has lead a reforestation campaign, using species adapted to high altitudes: conifers, pine, Mughus pines, Caucasian and Canadian pines, Nordman pines, maples, ash, bilberry bushes, rhododendrons,…All resulting in a natural setting in the village centre, and pine trees bedecked with Christmas lights…

Clean Technology
Throughout its developement, Avoriaz has managed to use innovative techniques as far as respect for the environment is concerned, even up to the point of becoming an experimental site for refining techniques. Two examples illustrate perfectly Avoriaz’ pioneering character and forerunning nature.

Electrical Snowmobiles
In 1994, in partnership with EDF and ADEME, the resort started up an ambitious programme using electric snow-scooters. The prototype was tested and perfected in Avoriaz, giving birth to a complete range of machines used today in the resort, that help to reduce exhaust fumes and noise pollution.

Ultra-Pure Water!
In 1993, in partnership with the French water company ‘Lyonnaise des Eaux’ that ensures water and sewage management in Avoriaz, the resort became the first to possess ultra-filtration: the water is ‘sifted’ through several organic membranes, a process that allows particles to be filtered down to 0.01 micron, thereby avoiding the addition of chlorine. Water in Avoriaz today has no taste or smell! This procedure has been adopted by other sites.

‘Biotop’, for Eco-Citizen Sports...
Still in the vein of innovation, Avoriaz together with the National forestry office, set up BIOTOP in 2005, a new concept in snowparks that respects nature.

This adventure playground, situated in the middle of the Lindarets forest (one of the most beautiful pine forests in the region) is accessible to skiers and snowboarders for freeride sessions through the trees.

It was planned around the idea of keeping the setting and its ambiance as natural as possible:

• It includes modules made exclusively from wood, so that more than half of the wood used is collected on site. It was designed in such a way that terracing would not be necessary, to conserve the natural lie of the land. Its construction didn’t need trees or undergrowth to be cleared. It could be looked after manually: the modules were cleared of snow using shovels; no snow-grooming machine can penetrate into this clearing.


• Tree stubs, trunks and wooden tables for sliding over and around, a wooden wall for vertical sliding, which constitutes a whole new concept which teenagers love, always in search of new thrills but simultaneously wishing to respect the environment.
  In December 2006, the resort will open the second part of this playground with ever more inventive wooden modules.

Car Free
Transportation in Avoriaz is provided by 28 sleighs, with about 100 horses, meaning that for the whole week you can forget your car abandoned along side the 2500 others in the car park!

A weighty argument for parents: children’s safety thanks to the absence of cars, meaning they are free to come and go in total security all day long: in the morning they can go and get the bread on foot, they can head off alone with their skis on, and come back to play in the snow or go sledging late into the evening on the Dromonts floodlit slope, situated in the heart of the resort.

Environmental Charter
On 19th April 2006, an environmental charter was signed by numerous economical partners in the resort. This charter for the environment draws on 4 main points:

1. Taking the environment into consideration when planning new buildings: the HQE badge for new residences, a ‘feeling good & wellness’ atmosphere, true reflection of the resort’s concept, the ski-runs and the ecological circuits around the ski area.


2. Working on reducing pollution sources: Iso 14001 certificate for the SERMA, rubbish collecting and setting up rubbish sorting, clean carburization or bio-fuel for motors and general use of electrical scooters, reflection about the transport of people and reducing noise in the resort.


3. Refurbishing the resort: new programme of plantations, developing the resort entrance, applying the charter to signposts, planning terraces, public lighting, candelabras, baskets, lighting and treating of facades, harmonizing the buildings, …


4. Environmental communication: ‘Sustainable development’ corner, communication about actions that favour the environment : Village des Enfants environmental module, ‘ecological footprint’ during events,…

Avoriaz and Mountain Riders* set up an ‘ecological circuit’ on the ski-slopes.
The aim is to ensure environmental communication on the ski fields. This ecological circuit sets out to explain Biotop, the innovating concept, with signs that start as soon as you enter the area. This equipment is completed with 6 pictures on Prolays’ chairlift pylons encouraging people not to throw rubbish off the chairlift. Opening on the 16th December 2006.

*Mountain Riders is an association that groups together snowboarders, skiers, ski tourers or just nature lovers, and safeguards respectful use of the mountains. Mountain Riders wishes to inform the public and raise awareness of respect for the mountain environment by pragmatic rather than moralistic steps. Avoriaz has been a partner of Mountain Riders since 2005.

ISO 14001 certificate
SERMA, the Avoriaz ski lift company, is aimed at replying to clients wishes; clients who desire sustainable development to be an integral part of their leisure pursuits.

The controlling of environmental aspects of activities by the organiser has become strategically important as far as the image of a company and resort is concerned. It has become an important sales-point vis-à-vis individual clients and tour operators, especially with foreigners.

This environmental management is based on three points:

1. Reduce pollution sources: exhaust fumes from snow grooming machines and scooters used by the ski-slope services, control oil-loss from machines, choose biodegradable oil if possible, organising storage basins in garages, reduction of noise pollution…


2. Reduce energy consumption: rationalise electrical consumption for offices etc, limit the use of oil, try to use insulating material…


3. Recycle products: limit the amount of rubbish thrown away, organise rubbish sorting, print piste-maps on recycled paper…

Steps have been taken since January 2005 and should lead to the certification in March 2007.

Setting up a ‘Sustainable development corner’ in the Tourist Office:
The aim is to inform holiday-makers of all the actions being taken by the resort to favour the environment, and notably concerning the following points:

- The contents of the resort’s Environmental Charter,
- The steps being taken by the SERMA for the ISO 14001 ‘Quality Environment’ certificate
- The existence of BIOTOP, ecological equipment on the ski-slopes,
- ‘environment’ modules integrated into the Village des Enfants courses (see page 27),
- Various initiatives for respecting nature: reusable bags in supermarkets, glass collection,…
- particular protection areas that exist in the ski area,
- events based on the theme of the environment (Avoriaz Art Récup, Snowsport festival, Sea & Mountain, the Great Odyssey…)

But the aim is also to raise holiday-makers’ awareness so that they become environment supporters:

• Calculate on a PC their ecological footprint,

• Encourage respect for property by simple gestures: systematically using rubbish bins on the ski-slopes and in the resort, using bags to clean up their dogs’ mess,

• Encouraging ‘eco-gestures’, such as turning down radiators during the day when out skiing, turning off the heating when windows are open, not wasting tap water,…

This work of raising awareness will also be undertaken by our partners: WWF, Ademe, and Mountain Riders during themed communication campaigns.

Since resorts are continuously increasing and improving their environmental practices, we update the Green Resort Guide throughout the year. If you have any information about new resort environmental policies/practices or anything that you think we may have missed, please email greenresortguide@skiclub.co.uk.

• Maps
• Historic Snow