Winter holiday in the Alps even when there’s no snow

Refreshing the forecast every day, checking the summit webcam: my pre-ski anguish about whether there’ll be good snow is starting to feel like as much a feature of my skiing holidays as the apres-ski beer.

Now, another resort has closed. Alpe du Grand Serre near Grenoble, France has permanently shut its lifts due to lack of snow. It’s the largest to do so in the northern Alps… so far.

Climate change is shortening the ski season to a point where it’s not profitable. This generally affects lower altitudes first – not larger, purpose-built resorts, but smaller resorts in villages.

For years, artificial snow has filled in the gaps – in recent years 90 per cent of Italian resorts have required it. But it’s resource intensive, requiring vast amounts energy, and water, which is scarce in some alpine regions. And snow cannons still require sub-zero temperatures to operate.

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But when the snow goes, the scenery doesn’t. There are plenty of fantastic high-altitude adventures in the Alps that don’t rely on perfect powder. Alpine areas are promoting themselves as year-round destinations; don’t abandon the salopettes just yet.

“Have a flexible attitude and be open to activities that might not involve snow.” Sally Guillaume, owner and director of Undiscovered Mountains in the southern French Alps, has been operating multi activity winter holidays in the region for almost two decades. Deliberately eschewing the traditional ski holiday in favour of more sustainable pursuits, their trips can include activities as diverse as ice climbing, husky sledding, mountaineering and snow shoeing. “If the snow isn’t great, then snowshoeing turns into winter walking,” she says.

Read more: Less partying, more skiing – how to have a ‘grown-up’ ski season in your 40s

“It’s about mindset,” says Xania Wear. She and her husband Craig run relaxing, active trips from a base on the edge of Hohe Tauern National Park in the East Tirol, Austria with her company WearActive. “Approach the mountains as a local person would. Each day and each activity should be embraced according to the conditions.” This means low-altitude treks on cloudy days and climbing higher when…