The rising cost of lift access has become a tired trope in ski industry discourse, yet every season, the numbers tick upward. That is why the recent announcement from Saint-Colomban-des-Villards, a small commune in the Savoie department of the French Alps, stops you in your tracks. For the 2025-2026 winter season, skiing there will be completely free.
The Economics of "Free"
This isn't a marketing stunt; it is a survival tactic born of harsh fiscal reality. Last year, the resort faced a crippling operational deficit of €1 million. For a small municipality, that level of loss is unsustainable. The local council crunched the numbers and realized a paradoxical truth: in their specific situation, it costs more to sell tickets than to give them away.
By eliminating the need for ticketing infrastructure, sales staff, and the complex guest services required for a paid commercial operation, the resort estimates its operating costs will drop to between €150,000 and €200,000 for the season. In the current economic climate, absorbing a €200,000 cost is significantly more palatable than facing another seven-figure deficit.
Managing Expectations
Skiers should manage their expectations regarding the terrain on offer. This is not the vast expanse of the Les Sybelles ski area, to which Saint-Colomban was previously linked. For this season, that connection is severed. The "free" offer applies to a reduced, beginner-focused zone situated at 1,100 meters (3,609 feet).
The municipality will operate just three lifts to service this mini-area:
- Le tapis de l'Ourson (Magic carpet)
- Le téléski de l'Épinette (Drag lift)
- Le téléski de Rogemont (Drag lift)
A Canary in the Coal Mine?
From an industry perspective, this is a fascinating case study in the "shrink to survive" model. We are seeing low-altitude resorts across Europe grapple with unpredictable snowpacks and rising energy costs. Saint-Colomban-des-Villards is explicitly pivoting toward a four-season model, emphasizing activities like snowshoeing which are less dependent on deep snow coverage than alpine skiing.
If you are planning to book your French Alps ski trip this winter, this spot offers a unique, low-stakes detour for families or those looking to escape the mega-resort crowds, provided you are content with limited vertical.
The experiment runs from December 20, 2025, to March 8, 2026. While free skiing sounds like a dream for the consumer, it serves as a stark indicator of the challenges facing small, low-elevation operators. If the only way to keep the lifts spinning is to stop charging for them to cut overhead, the business model of municipal skiing is undergoing a radical transformation right before our eyes.
Source: SnowBrains
