In order to cope with the drastic retreat of the glaciers, snow is also removed from the glacier feeding area and transported in front of the glacier tongue with dozens of diesel-powered snow groomers as a cover for the increasingly long, artificially created ramps between the lift valley station and the retreating end of the glacier to make them skiable. Even glacier resorts are struggling and attempts to maintain them are contributing to even more rapid glacial decline. Since the 1970s, the average length of snow cover in the Swiss Alps has been reduced by a terrifying 6 weeks. Other high altitude areas including Sölden in Austria & Zermatt in Switzerland have struggled to open slopes at times, despite widespread snowmaking. Val D'Isere, France, Europes highest resort with a base at 2400m has had to postpone its opening more and more frequently in recent years. "Traditional snowmaking techniques are no longer reliable, and the length of snow cover has significantly decreased in recent decades." Carmen de Jong, of University of Strasbourg, argues that distinction is clearly insufficient, and that even at higher altitudes up to 1700m, a reevaluation needs to be undertaken due to the effects of global warming. While the resorts argued the importance of winter sports to their regions and populations, scientific submissions suggested that even the idea that resorts over 1000m could be "snowsafe" was clearly insufficient, let alone trying to keep those lower down in business. With winter 22/23 being a difficult snow year in Europe, particularly during the beginning and middle of the season when low lying resorts (under 1000m/3300ft) are typically able to operate, the question of their future has been brought to parliament.
Germany has a mulitude of low lying resorts, which have struggled with snow for many years. The German Bundestag (German Parliament) Tourism Committee recently accepted submissions from both ski resorts and experts which ultimately painted a damning picture of the future of wintersports in the country, and in Europe as a whole.
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