Swiss ski resorts scrap 175 snow cannon project

Leysin-Les Mosses: the 175 snow cannons project has been scrapped Keystone-SDA

A plan to install 175 snow cannons in Leysin and Les Mosses, in southwest Switzerland, has been scrapped.

As the planned installation was partly situated within a protected area, the company Télé Leysin-Les Mosses-La Lécherette (TLML) has been forced to refocus its project solely on the Leysin ski area, where 30 to 40 new snow cannons are now being considered.

The protection of the wetland site of national importance at Les Mosses prevents this project from going ahead, TLML and the canton of Vaud announced.

The development of tourist facilities in this area of Les Mosses “is no longer in accordance with federal law,” the statement added.

Appeals lodged against the project “could prolong the proceedings by several years and cast significant uncertainty over its outcome”.

Jean-Marc Udriot, chair of TLML, told Keystone-ATS that directors had to “take responsibility” as the project was “heading for a dead end”.

New project

TLML will refocus the project on Leysin. Around 30 to 40 snow cannons are planned for the “key areas” of Aï, Brion, Les Fers and Choulet, where two chairlifts have recently been rebuilt. A new public consultation is scheduled to take place by the end of 2026.

“Improved snow reliability in these areas aims to facilitate more consistent winter operations and enhance the ski area’s appeal,” says TLML. The company said winter sports in the region provide 37 full-time jobs.

Cantonal funding is guaranteed for the new project until the end of August 2030. Canton Vaud is seeking an extension of the planned federal contributions.

Alternative tourism at Les Mosses

Even without snow cannons, the Les Mosses-La Lécherette ski area will not be neglected, sais Udriot. Downhill skiing will remain possible as long as natural snow cover allows. TLML intends to accelerate the transition to a four-season offering.

The company states that “upcoming meetings” between the various stakeholders will help to identify “projects likely to contribute to sustainable tourism, adapted to climate change”.

Wave of opposition

Launched back in 2018, the 175 snow cannons project aimed to address the lack of snow and ensure that skiing could continue at these two resorts. The idea was to supply the snow cannons with water from Lake Hongrin via a network of pipes stretching some 20 kilometres.

However, the project sparked fierce criticism and hundreds of objections. Its critics denounced it as a project “from another era”, one that was water and energy-intensive, and which was also deemed harmful to the region’s flora, fauna and ecosystems.

By the end of 2024, the project had been withdrawn to allow those in charge to revise it. A revised version was submitted earlier this year, which still envisaged the installation of 109 snow cannons in Leysin and 66 in Les Mosses. More than 500 objections had been lodged following the public consultation.

Relief at Pro Natura

Among the organisations that had campaigned against these snow cannons, Pro Natura Vaud reacted on Friday by expressing its “relief” at the project’s abandonment, reiterating that it risked “causing serious damage to the marshes of national importance in the area.”

Pro Natura Vaud also said it was “convinced” that the future of tourism in the Vaud Alps must be built “as far as possible without further artificial snowmaking”.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.