snowmobiles on ski slopes deemed illegal by the Grenoble court

This Monday, June 13, the Grenoble police court sentenced Espace Gliss, its manager and an instructor to fines and the confiscation of 10 of its snowmobiles. The company offered tourist hikes in the Chamrousse ski area in Isère.

This is a decision that will undoubtedly make history and push mountain tourism professionals to reflect. In Grenoble, Justice has just declared illegal tourist excursions by snowmobile on the ski slopes, an activity that has been practiced for years in many resorts.

It all started on February 5 in Chamrousse in Isère. As part of a preliminary investigation carried out by the Grenoble Public Prosecutor’s Office, the PGHM is carrying out checks on 10 snowmobiles carrying out tourist excursions on the slopes of the resort. A 9km loop organized every evening from 5 p.m. indicates the Grenoble Public Prosecutor who considers that this is an offense punishable by a fine of up to 1500 euros and confiscation gear . “Only public service missions, for professional purposes of research, operation or maintenance of natural areas are exempt from this principle of prohibition” then reminds the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The director of the target company, Espace Gliss, was also already the subject of a summons in April before the Grenoble Police Court for similar facts observed the previous winter and which had earned the town hall of Chamrousse, a reminder of the law. Because the municipality supports the activity present on its territory for more than 30 years. “Permissions are there” says Brigitte Destanne de Bernis the mayor of Chamrousse. She says she is amazed by the operation carried out on her ski area. “We called a meeting of the association of mayors of mountain resorts and called on the Ministry to tell us what the law is and that it applies everywhere and not just in Chamrousse.” hammers the aedile.

I’m stunned

Charles Tribalat, Manager of Espace Gliss

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This Monday, June 13, 2022, the police court which had put the case under advisement therefore rendered its judgment. The instructor who carried out the excursions was sentenced to a suspended fine of 1,400. The Espace Gliss company and its manager Charles Tribalat were found guilty of complicity in the use of a snowmobile by the instructor. The manager receives 349 fines (the number of offenses noted) of 10 euros, 5 of which are suspended.

Finally, and this is indeed the heaviest sanction, the 10 snowmobiles will not be returned to their owner who said he was in shock. “I am stunned by what I did not expect such a judgment” reacted Charles Tribalat. “In terms of tourism impact, it’s huge, we welcome on site nearly 10,000 people a year, we employ 8 people and we collaborate with all the resort’s service providers”.

At the Grenoble Courthouse, the court’s decision was on the other hand welcomed by the environmental protection association Moutnain Wilderness which, with France Nature Environnement, had filed a civil action. “Today, Justice simply enforced the 1991 law on motorized leisure in natural areas” reacted Vincent Neirnck, representative of Mountain Wilderness present at the hearing. “For motorized vehicles designed for progression on snow, use for leisure purposes is prohibited except in a very specific case, that of use on authorized terrain. There, what was happening was that ‘they used the tracks to go up to the Croix de Chamrousse in long hikes which are in fact prohibited because the ski areas are natural spaces for the regulations”.

Espace Gliss will have to pay 2000 euros in damages to France Nature Environnement and Mountain Wilderness. Its leader has not yet indicated whether he wishes to appeal the Tribunal’s decision.