Piquemiette is in the past. Not distant, certainly, since the sector has just been closed, but enough of a past to soak the nostalgic eyes. There were between 100 and 150 of them this Sunday, January 5, at the foot of the sleeping chairlift. Together, they took the opportunity to exchange their memories around the galettes des rois that each had brought… and the 30 liters of mulled wine were included!
« On to adults there »
“There was a family side,” recalls Françoise Vayer, former manager of the legendary restaurant Chez Franckie. Immediate illustration of her words by example, since the young retiree is surrounded by her daughter and her grandchildren. “All the skiers have become my friends,” says the first, Fabienne. “It’s my childhood,” says his son, Antoine. “We grew up there. »
Next to him, his sister Chloé listens to him rehashing his memories of snow, smiling, staring into space, as if drawn into a journey through time. “Just last year I was skiing at La Pic,” confides the young woman, organizer of today’s event. “I worked with my grandmother to help her in the restaurant. » “When it started, it was very small,” continues Françoise. “We rode snow scooters during the winter of 69-70. Today, we all know each other. Piquemiette is our life. »
The 1999 avalanche and great competitions
For his part, Bertrand Joly will never forget the tragic avalanche of February 18, 1999, which took away an 18-year-old girl. “That day, we were looking for the kids everywhere. There was a lot of solidarity between us, everyone was united. »
But above all, as former president of the Mont d'Or ski club, he remembers “the magnificent competitions” that he organized with the club's forty volunteers. “We competed at a very high level, whether in hail or wind,” confides the former national timekeeper. “We were trying to get as many kids as possible to ski, because it’s not a sport accessible to everyone. And the best were not necessarily the richest! »
“I spent my first Christmases here”
So, obviously, when the decision was made to close the sector, a world collapsed. “The day I heard the news, I couldn’t believe it. I burst into tears,” says Chloé. “I spent my first Christmases here. I barely knew how to walk when they put me on skis. »
Piquemiette is quite a story. If the economic reasons which prompted its closure are understandable, we cannot ignore the pain of those who spent their lives there. “Honestly, we expected this decision,” admits Chloé. “What we all deplore is the way in which it was done. » Bertrand Joly regrets the “cowardice of not having come to warn the people here. We could have had a consultation. This is brutal.”
