You just have to see the huge car parks finally filled in the resort of La Mongie (Hautes-Pyrénées), Saturday, December 18. “We can say that the season is launched, it’s true, after a year and a half of waiting, under the sun and with snow of excellent quality”, welcomes Blandine Vernardet, director of the estate of the Grand Tourmalet. It has been a year and a half, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, for a year and a half, that the world of winter sports has been waiting for this.
1.70 m of powder at the foot of the slopes, more than 2 m of snow at altitude. The skiers have a smile like these three friends from the Landes: “Frankly, it’s great, it’s magic”, one of them enthuses. And the Covid, are we slipping? “We don’t care” he blurted out. To hear them, the obligation to wear a mask is “very little” respected in the resort.
“They pointed out to us that we had to put on the mask, but it’s complicated to go down with a mask and get to the bottom, to put it back on quickly”
a skier from La Mongieto franceinfo
Random checks have been put in place for masks and the compulsory health pass since December 4 in the stations. At the bottom of an Amanda chairlift, who is usually a host in the resort, stops the skiers: “Hello sir, I will check your health pass”. Which does not prevent a cordial exchange: “Does the recovery feel good?”, “It feels good, it’s nice with this magnificent weather”. Amanda reminds that the mask is compulsory in the queues and on the chairlifts. “We know, it’s part of the game”, comments a skier.
Skiers can be checked several times, also by the gendarmes. The sanitary pass and especially the mask in the mountains are quite difficult to impose. And even in restaurants. “We talk about it a lot, everyone talks about it”, tells Eric Michel, owner of the Auberge des neiges in La Mongie.
“The problem with the health pass is that you have to present it and people don’t have time to sit down, they all arrive at the same time. It’s complicated so everyone is under pressure.”
Eric Michel, restaurateurto franceinfo
Another reason for concern for restaurateurs: the lack of seasonal workers. “I have big problems, precisely. I lack staff and it’s a mess”, sighs Eric Michel. With less labor, the control of sanitary passes makes the job much more complicated. Especially since vacationers are expected in numbers. Over 90% of accommodation is booked in La Mongie this week.