Since the closure of the ski lifts, the ski resorts near Lyon have been filling up with visitors eager to learn about Nordic practices.

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Mr. Allili / Sipa

  • The first two weekends in January, the mid-mountain resorts, located in the Ain, were full of visitors.

  • Attendance increased by 330%.

  • But managing flows is not easy.

In the memory of traders, they had never seen, in thirty years, such an influx.

During the first weekends of January, the medium mountain resorts, located in the department of Ain, were taken by storm by visitors.

More than 3,000 people went to Les Plans d'Hotonnes or the Hauteville Plateau.

A very unusual attendance.

“It's an increase of 330%.

It is all the more rare that we are not during the school holiday period, ”observes Emmanuelle Bebi, director of the Bugey Sud tourist office.

Due to the closure of the ski lifts in the higher altitude Isère and Savoyard resorts, professionals in the sector expected a postponement from customers, eager to breathe fresh air or to try their hand at Nordic disciplines such as skiing. bottom or snowshoes.

They had anticipated an increase in attendance but not in such proportions.

Reorient walkers

"We are delighted and we are doing our best to welcome people and encourage them to come back later, especially in the summer," explains Philippe Emin, president of the Syndicat Mixte du Plateau de Retord.

But the management of the next weekends is like a puzzle as the stations are not sized to accommodate so many people.

The gendarmerie was asked to widen the roads and twice regulate access to the stations.

Some visitors had to wait a long time before reaching their destination.

Others were forced to turn around.

For the next weekends, the union plans to call on volunteers to distribute the crowds.

“Our sites lead to dead ends.

Cars pile up on the way up and down, so the solution is to better manage the flow, talking to people and redirecting them, explains Philippe Emin.

For example, those who come to walk or to toboggan can be guided towards virgin grounds, unprepared spaces located near or below the stations ”.

And thus prevent some families from sledding on the Nordic area, as has been seen on previous weekends.

A clientele unaccustomed to Nordic practices

"As there is no single entry and the areas are not closed, visitors tend to venture everywhere, for lack of knowledge," admits the president.

“Upstream, we try to communicate well on social networks and our website in order to alert them,” explains Emmanuelle Bebi.

Or advise them not to go there at the end of the afternoon.

“We have a large clientele, coming from the surrounding towns.

This public is not necessarily used to practices in mid-mountain, ”she continues.

Overwhelmed, the stations nevertheless display a broad smile.

“It's nice to see so many people.

I think Nordic skiing and snowshoeing will benefit from this episode, ”concludes Philippe Emin.

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