New candidate in the “curse of the year” category, with the entry of the small ski resort of Val-Pelens. It joins its sister in Tinée, Roubion, which closed for lack of snow, then opened, closed for lack of electricity, opened, closed…
Val-Pelens, managed by the village of Saint-Martin-d’Entraunes, threatened by climate change, has not been able to open all year. For once there was snow, which fell in abundance at the end of the season, there was no one left to run the store.
“One disaster” after another
“The snowfall came as the season was coming to an end, deplores the mayor, Jean-Claude Autheman. And at the same time, my elected representative, Mélina Catherine, and her husband, Paul, who were farm managers, left the town.”
“A disaster,” repeats the mayor. Especially since for his village, it is one disaster after another. The couple earned their crust by managing the Prieuré campsite and gîtes. It was a conflict with the owner of the walls (who did not wish to answer us), which caused their departure. Subject of the dispute: payment for major renovation work, in particular sanitation. Several hundred thousand euros, according to the mayor.
Station and campsite closed
A hard blow for a village in this very remote area. “It’s catastrophic for uspushes the mayor. In summer, there are 250 people in this establishment. It’s a disaster, but given the state the campsite is in, I can’t afford to let it open as long as there is no work.”
The couple left to manage an inn in the neighboring village of Entraunes. And the mayor has not found anyone to replace them in the management of the small station.
“It was almost all volunteering”
During “almost ten years”, Mélina managed Val-Pelens with her husband. Out of passion. But the campsite conflict, which she does not wish to discuss, only accelerated things: “We had been warning the mayor for two years that we were going to stop, even if we stayed at the campsite. For health reasons. We are over 50, and it was almost only volunteer work, alongside our job. Only my husband earned a little money on the operating part, but in winter, he slept three hours a night: he went to groom the snow, then came to work at the restaurant…”
The mayor is looking for a replacement
She is therefore not surprised that the mayor did not find anyone to replace them: “The municipalities don’t have the means to pay. And if you don’t have a crazy personal investment, it’s complicated. We did it as husband and wife… But you have to find someone who lady, maintains, repairs, sets up safety files… It’s quite heavy.”
It discusses the responsibilities and procedures in terms of security and organization. And thinks that the page of the station will probably turn: “It’s a paradise up there. The resort is important for all the children of the valley. I’m nostalgic, but we have to be lucid. The seasons are getting shorter and shorter. There are 10,000 or 15,000 euros in charges , we almost never covered them. And that was before the rise in electricity. We have to think about changing things.”
Think about it, the mayor claims to have done it: “But we considered that the upper Var valley could not do without the station”. So, Jean-Claude Autheman plans to train his staff or hopes to find a candidate.
