“I’m not pessimistic”: an hour from Nice, this small resort without artificial snow was finally able to open
2024-01-19 07:45:00
The joy quickly cooled. With the light snowfall, the Turini Camp d’Argent ski resort, in the Bollène Vésubie territory, was able to open this Sunday. One month after the expected date. But three days later, the rains damaged the area. And the morale of the troops: “You have chosen your day [ce jeudi 18 janvier]“, quips the director, Jean-Marc Nervi. Of the four tracks, only one is ultimately accessible. A second is hoped for this Friday the 19th.
No water reserves and too much sun
Such is life at this small family resort, located on the roof of the department. At the crossroads of the Vésubie, Bévéra and Paillon valleys, a good hour’s drive from Nice. With a 360-degree panorama, sea view. And sometimes, Corsica, to the great pride of the locals.
Turini Camp d’Argent, which is part of the infrastructure of the Pure Montagne joint union (managed by the Department), is installed between 1,600 and 1,902 meters above sea level. It is higher than La Colmiane (from 1400 to 1800m) and similar to Valberg (from 1500 to 2000m). Except that his two big sisters are force-fed artificial snow. Here, not at all. Impossible.
“We are dependent on the weather, explains Jean-Marc Nervi. Here, we don’t have enough water reserves to produce. We are on the top of the mountain, alone on the ridge. Plus, we have the sun all day. It’s an advantage but also a disadvantage.”
The mountain craftsman who gleans snow everywhere
The station opened this Sunday.
The opening is not a miracle but the faith of its director, the employees (less than ten) and his family, who took over the Yéti restaurant. Jean-Marc, 52, manages the station in addition to his job as a mechanic in La Bollène-Vésubie. “I’m from here, I learned to ski here. I’ve always helped out. And, in 1991, I did a grooming course in Courchevel. The snow, the machines, the grooming, this is my passion.”
Director since 2014, he describes himself as “a mountain craftsman”. He’s not exaggerating. At the slightest snowfall, it optimizes. With his machines, he will scrape the white gold wherever he can, in the early morning. Bring a bunch back to the track. Then another. And another. Spread them out.
Except there is global warming. Last year, the station only opened for twenty days. A trauma. This year again, Jean-Marc Nervi is worried. So much so that a snow cannon was loaned by the Boréon. Inconclusive tests at the moment.
“I’m not necessarily pessimistic”, assures the chief groomer. In good seasons, according to him, attendance reaches more than 200 packages on Sunday.
But what keeps the house going are the children. Little schoolchildren from Paillon, Sospel and Moulinet come to Turini to learn to ski, as part of the Department’s ski plan.
“Essential” for local kids to learn to ski
“Children come to discover skiing but also the mountains and the environment, explains Bernard Curti, educational advisor in Menton. The ski plan is essential for these kids, who don’t necessarily know the snow, but also to keep these resorts alive. One hundred and fifty children, that keeps local business going.”
This Thursday, there are almost only children, accompanied by a handful of parents. “You have to tell Christian Estrosi to raise the camp of Turini!quips one of them, Jean-Michel. No, but we see that there is a lack of investment, despite the will of the people here. At the same time, it’s not easy to put millions into a resort when there isn’t much snow.”
“We all learned here but this might be the last yearbreathes Aimé, another relative of Sospel. If the resort doesn’t have enough snow, like it did last year, the kids don’t ski.” This is the rule of National Education: the activity time must be greater than the travel time. And going to Valberg does not meet these criteria.
The rates
The Turini Camp d’Argent ski resort is located in the town of La Bollène Vésubie. The green slope was open this Thursday, management was hopeful of opening the blue this Friday.
Package: 14 euros per day. 11 euros for children.