Sustainable development

Actions taken within the Loudenvielle Tourism Office

• Rational management of paper, fluid and energy consumption
• Printing of documentation adapted to actual demand (PEFC printers, recycled paper, etc.)
• Waste recycling 
• Employee awareness to gestures "energy saving"
• Digital documentation favoured

The development of 4 seasons to project even further

It is out of the question for elected officials and socio-professionals in the Louron Valley and the Larboust Valley to rest on their laurels. Since 2019, communities and stations in Peyragudes and Val Louron have developed a 4-season activity development master plan. More recently, through the Plan Avenir Montagne de l'État, they continue to think about the actions to be taken to ensure the sustainability of the tourist offer in summer and winter. It is thus that a vast project of renovation of the tourist furnished and of requalification of the public spaces and the track foot is under study Agudes slope. Similarly, the replacement of the thermal buses that provide the Peyresourde slope link between Balestas and the runway foot by electric shuttles is being evaluated.

Strong decrease in CO2 emissions Skyvall gondola opening in 2019

The gondola allows to reach the station from Loudenvielle, has allowed to generate a strong reduction of the car traffic on the road of the pass of Peyresourde and to reduce in fact the emissions of CO2 in the valley. Three years after commissioning, 692,000 transits were recorded on Skyvall between pedestrians, skiers and mountain bikers. This means that 90,300 vehicles did not travel between Loudenvielle and the station, which accounted for 488 tonnes of CO2 released into the air. Similarly, the Ski'Zy offer conducted in partnership with Faur Évasion is a real success. For its 4th year of implementation, more than 7,000 students and young professionals were able to enjoy a full day of skiing from Toulouse, 133 coaches were chartered… or the equivalent of 2300 cars. 

Peyragudes

Energy as a vector of economy and investment

Within the framework of the Sobriety Plan and the very tense energy context for the coming months, SPL Peyragudes, operator of the ski area, is doing its utmost to actively contribute to the scheme by strengthening its energy consumption practices without degrading the quality of customer service. Several concrete measures will reduce consumption by about 10% over the winter of 2022/2023, including:

• The eco-friendly operation of ski lift equipment (40% of annual consumption) by adapting speed to the number of people using the equipment, limiting stops and doubling down on days when the number of people does not justify it.

• The optimization of consumption for growing snow (50% of consumption) made possible by the deployment of new generation snow guns, also thanks to the use of the Snowsat system to produce the right snow in the right place.

• Lowering the temperature in buildings (10% of annual consumption) by means of control tools and increased staff awareness.

Please note: Since 2016, the Peyragudes station has decided to adhere to the BIOM approach (recognized as a COP21 solution). Peyragudes is also ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18 001 certified.

New lighting in Peyragudes

The new lighting installed in Peyragudes is part of the action to combat light pollution carried out within the Pic du Midi Starry Sky Reserve. The technology used is based on LEDs installed in programmable and communicating luminaires that adapt to tourist traffic and snow conditions. In addition to having reduced the number of light points by a third, this installation benefits from two innovations. On the one hand, the network is multifunctional serving variable message panels or even video surveillance or public address. On the other hand, the color temperature of the LEDs is programmable, thus ensuring an improvement in safety and a reduction in light pollution. 

Annual "Clean Mountain" Day 

Organized on the Peyragudes station, to invite tourists and local residents to collect the remaining waste on the slopes after the winter season.

When the carp come to the rescue of the hilly holds

In 2020, the station decided to introduce a very special species of fish, the carp amour, into its tanks. This carp inhabits rather calm waters, preferring large bodies of water with slow or stagnant flow, rich in vegetation. The species has been widely used in the world to fight against the proliferation of plants, feeding mainly aquatic plants but also insects and other invertebrates. Each day, depending on age, a carp can absorb the equivalent of its own weight and more. After one year, these young carps have taken more than 25 cm and provide very significant results, 100% natural.

The territory is also committed at State level via Atout France

In the Mountain Mobility Future Plan and at the regional level via the AREC in the Regional Hydrogen Plan. The aim is to replace existing modes of transport for seasonal shuttle services offered to customers in the municipality of Germ in Peyragudes and between Genoa and Loudenvielle

Val Louron 

The Val Louron station has implemented measures to limit its impact on the environment and its energy consumption, including:

• Optimisation of the opening of the ski lifts according to the number of visitors to limit electricity consumption. 

• Optimisation of the damage in relation to the number of visitors and deployment of eco-driving – Objective: to limit GNR consumption.  Some tracks can be partially groomed (half in width) over periods of lower traffic.

• A well thought out snow production. Do not produce during peak hours and limit production during peak hours – Goal: limit electricity consumption

• Sorting waste in the workshop (oil, scrap, wood, etc.) and in the offices.