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A long-term commitment

  1. Winter home
  2. Once on site
  3. Village life
  4. The environment at the heart of our concerns
  5. A long-term commitment

Committed for many years

– A ski area committed to strong action: the resort’sEnvironmental Observatory has added a pastoral component to its specifications. A first in France!

The Les Saisies ski area is criss-crossed by high mountain pastures, and in summer is home to the herds of more than 20 farmers who produce the Beaufort PDO. The aim of this tool is to encourage exchanges with farmers and to take pastoral activity into account in development and management projects for the ski area and tourism in general (mountain biking, etc.).

This section provides a detailed description of users, pastoral practices and existing facilities, as well as identifying problem areas and potential improvements. There are 24 farmers located in the Saisies ski area. This pastoral section was set up in partnership with the Société d’économie alpestre de la Savoie (SEA 73). This collaboration is “a step in the right direction”, explains Pierre Simon, farmer and ski patroller at Les Saisies.

Sharing water resources is another of the resort’s concerns. Some farmers have access to the high altitude reservoirs to supply water for their herds in summer.

Les Saisies has also won several awards for itseco-damage practices.

– The Diamant Confort label, created by SAEM les Saisies Villages Tourisme and supported by the SIVOM, guarantees the quality of the destination’s accommodation by helping private owners with their renovation projects, and by labeling those that meet a variety of criteria, including a sustainable development component.

– Diversification, with a plethora of summer and winter activities, and a recognized dynamic of opening up to the wings of the season.

– The destination also offers seasonal accommodation.

– To preserve the mountain, roads to the summits are closed to motorized vehicles during the summer months. Access is possible on foot, by electric shuttle or by ski lift.

–Les Saisies – Beaufortain – Val d’Arly Regional Nature Reserve. A veritable nugget located at the Col des Saisies, this reserve covers an area of almost 300 hectares, on which a large part of the Nordic ski area is based. It is the largest acidic peat bog in the entire Alpine arc, making it a unique natural heritage of international importance.

– The launch of the lessaisies-express.com website, a MAAS (Mobility As A Service) offering discounts on ski passes for visitors who have chosen alternative mobility, and making it easier for them to find the itinerary available by soft mobility.

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Let’s respect the mountain pastures
The resort of Les Saisies has grown and developed at the center of an exceptional natural heritage. Between the alpine pastures of this beautiful cow mountain and its protected...
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Lowres 1 (71)Lowres 1 (71)
©Lowres 1 (71)
The Saisies peat bog
The Saisies peat bog is a protected natural area that is home to a specific and diverse flora and fauna. It is also a very popular hiking site, with several marked trails...
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DSC_0125DSC_0125
©DSC_0125
La Neige de Culture
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Our ambition

Portrait of a lekking Black Grouse in central SwedenPortrait of a lekking Black Grouse in central Sweden
©Portrait of a lekking Black Grouse in central Sweden|sylviaadams - stock.adobe.com

    Our ambition is to offer a dynamic place to live all year round, at the service of the population (residents and visitors). Les Saisies and its villages (Hauteluce and Villard sur Doron) are committed to the protection and enhancement of their natural and cultural heritage, to the decarbonization of their activities and to welcoming tourists with a diversified offer.

    4 strategic axes have been identified to implement the territory’s vision:

    – Controlling urban development and land artificialisation

    – Decarbonization of activities, with a focus on mobility and energy renovation

    – Diversification of activities

    – Year-round local life and active citizen participation

    Local commitments

    • Waste management

      An exceptional yet fragile region

      Les Saisies is located in an exceptional natural setting. Alpine pastures, the birthplace of Beaufort cheese, forests, wetlands – wherever you are, these landscapes are within easy reach. The wealth of natural environments is characterized by a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna.

      Very early on, local authorities became aware of the special character of their environment and its fragility, and took numerous actions to protect it. Today, this mission continues, with the aim of reconciling environmental protection, human activities and public awareness through actions to protect, manage and enhance natural areas.

      At the heart of these actions is waste management:

      – Organization of clean-up operations after the winter season
      – Provision of litter garbage cans throughout the estate
      – Sale of pocket cigarette butts by SPL
      – Distributors of bags for dog faeces.

      – WASTE SORTING:

      o Waste sorting garbage cans (moloks well distributed throughout the area)
      o Depot on the territory
      o Cardboard compactor for professionals available in Les Saisies
      o Food waste collection at restaurants

      – Priority given to reuse at SPL level: take into account the object’s life cycle when making purchases.
      – Priority given to local suppliers and eco-designed products at SAEM and SPL

    • Local initiatives

      Local initiatives to respect the environment

      A number of retailers, accommodation providers and real estate agencies are actively involved in implementing environmentally-friendly solutions.

      In this section, we’d like to highlight their actions!

      Name

      Actions

      Chalet Nantailly – Fabienne Le Hennaff

      • Eco renovation of the chalet: natural, recycled and antique materials, design of a low-energy building

      • Water and energy management: local, green electricity

      • Raising customer awareness of ecology and sustainable development: training courses, availability of local and natural products.

      • Human accompaniment of customers

      • Development of partnerships with local people and off-season activities

      Mountain Games

      • Eco-design (or recycling) of puzzle materials

      • Eco-responsible policy to limit the impact of our activities: reduction of printing, reduction of production quantities, reduction of carbon footprint due to transport.

      • Raising customer awareness through environmentally-friendly signage

      Le Patafan – Fanny Braghini

      • Partnerships with numerous local producers and promotion of products on menus and in videos

      • Cuisine based exclusively on local produce and fresh products

      Refuge de la croix de pierre – Yannick Mazzochi

      • Energy and water self-sufficiency in a high-altitude refuge: solar panels, solar water pumping system, rainwater recovery tank (management and limitation of water use).

      • Limiting food waste: distribution to farm animals (chickens, pigs, dogs)

      • Local and seasonal products

      Les sentiers d’Hélène

      • Strong commitment to preserving the environment

      • Raising customer awareness of the need to respect flora and fauna

      • Activities close to nature and training on the use of natural plants, etc. Extensive knowledge of flora

      • Use of reusable cups and organic and natural products

      The Refuge restaurant

      • Waste management: sorting of recyclable waste, recycling of unsold food, no use of individual bags

      • Energy: cottage insulated, all lighting replaced with LEDs, little sign lighting

      • Local and seasonal products

      Chalet Mignod

      • Solar panels, building insulation

      • Source water management Waste sorting

      • Local products

      RNR manager

      • Raising public awareness of biodiversity

      • Protection and study of the Nature Reserve

      Chozal Farm

      • Electric vehicle charging stations

      • Water saving: aerators on taps, double flush toilets

      • Use of ecolabel cleaning products

      • Energy management: sensors on windows (cut off heating when opened), Voltalis (cut off heating and hot water production when EDF consumption peaks)

      • Waste: shower gel dispensers in bathrooms, some composting

      • Herb garden in summer

      Agence du Grand Mont – Jean-Pierre Jubier

      • Donations to various associations

      • Use of environmentally-friendly cleaning products

      • Customer discounts for train journeys or electric vehicles

      • Renovation work

      • Car pooling for staff, awareness-raising among staff, customers, (suppliers in progress), awareness-raising among the commune, resort and spl

      • Green electricity

    The Green Snowflake label

    Logo Flocon Vert 1 FloconLogo Flocon Vert 1 Flocon
    ©Logo Flocon Vert 1 Flocon

    The Les Saisies area was awarded the Flocon Vert label on Friday November 24, 2023, the fruit of several months’ work by a group of players ensuring perfect coordination in the service of the area:

    – SIVOM des Saisies: Syndicat Intercommunal à Vocations Multiples (Multi-purpose inter-communal syndicate) grouping together 3 communes (Hauteluce, Villard sur Doron and Crest-Voland). Its responsibilities include tourism development.

    – the communes of Hauteluce and Villard sur Doron, in charge of their respective municipal responsibilities,

    – SAEM Les Saisies Villages Tourisme: a private company in charge of the resort’s tourism management (tourist office, communications, tourist, sports and leisure facilities and infrastructures, such as the Le SIGNAL aquasport center),

    – SPL Domaines Skiables des Saisies: manages the Alpine and Nordic ski areas, winter footpaths and snowshoe trails, intramural shuttles and related activities such as the bike park, Mountain Twister and Parc des Elfes.

    The Flocon Vert label was created in 2011 by the Mountain Riders association, to help mountain resorts adopt a more eco-citizen approach. The label is awarded on the basis of compliance with criteria divided into 4 themes: local economy, social and cultural, governance and destination, environment and natural resources.

    Obtaining the Flocon Vert label enables the Les Saisies region to draw up its roadmap, identifying its strengths and possible areas for improvement. It also enables us to federate all local players, actively integrating them into a destination-wide sustainable development strategy.

    The process doesn’t stop once the label has been awarded – on the contrary, it’s just beginning! The region is committed to long-term actions.

    Faced with the current climatic and societalchallenges, we decided to roll up our sleeves and take action, using the Flocon Vert label as the basis for our roadmap.

    From this assessment emerged the certainty that we are collectively committed.

    A clear roadmap

    An action plan has already been drawn up to take our commitment even further, with the leitmotiv of remaining true to our values (authenticity, conviviality, family spirit, respect for nature) while at the same time being innovative.

    We are often asked about the environmental impact of winter sports. An infographic has established that skiing has less impact than transport to get to our mountains. But should we simply leave it at that?

    We have a duty to take into account the mobility of our customers, as well as that of local workers and residents.

     Infographic created by Utopies, based on data from 3 tourist destinations: La Clusaz, Le Grand Bornand and Tignes.
    Carbon Footprint For 1 Day Skiing 2085Carbon Footprint For 1 Day Skiing 2085
    ©Carbon Footprint For 1 Day Skiing 2085

      Among the actions identified in our roadmap are, first and foremost, the completion of our own carbon footprint for the entire region, enabling us to gain a more in-depth understanding of our impacts and adjust our actions accordingly.

      We are also going to set up a charter of committed players to raise awareness, federate and promote the destination’s professional players (restaurateurs, accommodation providers, activity providers, etc.) who wish to adopt an ecological, sustainable and supportive approach.

      We’re going to encourage soft mobility with the ongoing improvement of transport within the destination via the shuttle system, and the promotion of our MAAS lessaisies-express to offer a facilitating door-to-door transport service from the customer’s home, including the last kilometer in Les Saisies.

      We’ll be stepping up the marketing of unmarketed beds, whose impact on the region is mainly economic.

      And other challenges to build tomorrow’s Les Saisies together and look to the future with a smile.

      #happyaltitude

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