February 11, and it's raining in Asiago. For days, daytime temperatures have exceeded 5 degrees, and even at night, the thermometer doesn't drop below zero. Over 26 mm of rain has fallen over the weekend. The weather conditions are not favorable for the ski resorts, reducing the number of open slopes and diminishing the skiing days. If the days of skiing drop below a hundred in a season, according to industry associations, it results in losses for resorts and centers. This winter, with little snow and generally mild temperatures, inevitably brings back criticisms of mountain winter tourism and the opportunities for further investments in ski facilities, especially at lower altitudes. "I visited Kaberlaba in Asiago, where everything was closed due to rain – writes Pietro Lacasella, an anthropologist, and writer specializing in Alpine contexts who has been managing the blog Alto Rilievo/Voci di montagna since 2020 and the pages L’Altra Montagna in the newspaper Il Dolomiti since the beginning of 2024 - The new chairlift and the reservoir for artificial snow production were there, idle after a total investment of 3.7 million euros, prompting me to ask: was funding a resort developed just above a thousand meters perhaps a risky move? Wouldn't it have been less risky to redirect the capital towards forms of tourism more in line with the current climatic characteristics?"
Lacasella's doubts found immediate support, especially on social media. However, Asiago Mayor Roberto Rigoni Stern staunchly defends the investments made over the years in the Altopianese ski area. "It's easy to demagogue in an anomalous season where, unfortunately, snow struggled to arrive," attacks Rigoni Stern. "What about last year when, at the same time, there was half a meter of snow and - 12 C degrees at Kaberlaba? I remind you that Kaberlaba was among the few ski resorts at a thousand meters that managed to open, both due to the microclimates developed here and the great work the station has done to ensure enthusiasts can ski."
"Just let rains and anomalous temperatures come, and these environmentalist gurus resume the usual refrain about the uselessness of investments in the skiing world," he continues. "All-knowing people who, however, never suggest alternative solutions to ensure that residents can continue to live in the mountains because those deemed 'useless' investments generate an impact that is difficult to replicate; that is, every euro spent in ski resorts generates seven euros in economic activity. They are not interested in this because they spend a few days in the mountains, where they expect everything to be as they imagine, only to return to their cemented and polluted cities, without countering the various environmental damages they produce; ironically, these damages also affect the mountain environment".
(Gdv, 12 febbraio)