Since I founded Ski Flight Free in 2019, I have cut down on my flights considerably in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint. Flight Free in 2024 and 2025 For the last two years, I have gone slightly further committed to the ‘Flight Free Challenge’ – created by Anna...
In June 2025, Eurostar confirmed that they would be running the ‘Eurostar Snow Train’ again for the forthcoming 2025/26 winter season. This is great news, plus there are some key changes to this year’s service that will make the journey more attractive for many travellers. What dates will the Eurostar...
In 2022, I looked at the carbon footprint of a ski holiday, based on some research by French ski resorts. The original research attempted to detail the carbon cost of a day’s skiing, and the differences your choices can make to the final figure. I’ve now updated these figures, to...
The options for train travel to the Alps this winter are outlined here: THE EUROSTAR SKI TRAIN (via Lille) Eurostar have confirmed that their snow train, reintroduced last winter will continue for 2025/26 with more departures, plus an option to return on the following Saturday (six days’ skiing), as well...
As well as founding Ski Flight Free, Iain also presents The Ski Podcast. In September 2023, Iain discussed new train travel options with Krissie Roe from Inghams: In September 2020, Iain was joined by Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon and Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK in a Facebook Live event to discuss...
Make sure you pick up a copy of this month’s ‘Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Magazine’ encouraging skiers to #SkiFlightFree. You can find Iain’s opinion piece on the existential threat to ski resorts on page 20: Find out more at www.skiflightfree.org
Climate change represents an existential threat to human life on the planet. The evidence for this has been widely published, but you don’t have to take my word for it. This is what Britain’s most trusted man has to say on the subject: An existential threat to the ski industry...
Serre Chevalier was one of the first ski areas in France to produce its own electricity since they started their renewable energy program in 2018. The resort plans to generate 50% of its electricity requirements by 2025 and to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030. There are three pillars to their plan: Hydroelectricity...
Established in Chamonix 150 years ago, the Simond factory produces more than 200 tons of dynamic climbing ropes each year with a carbon cost equivalent to a single person flying around the earth almost six hundred times! In an effort to reduce their footprint, the company has launched an operation to collect old climbing ropes,...
For more than 20 years now, the French organisation Mountain Wilderness have been co-ordinating operations to dismantle obsolete installations in the mountains. It could be discarded piles of junk, concrete remains, pylons and cables left over from unused ski lifts or even abandoned buildings and shelters. Mountain Wilderness have recently launched a website listing all...
The Mountain Riders environmental group are launching a new national zero waste reduction program waste in the mountains, to be called “Montagne Zéro Déchet”. The plan is to increase the number of clearing sessions and to encourage the reduction of waste at source and will coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the lobbying group. The...
More great work from the Montagne Verte team in Morzine, who have been ‘debranding’ ski instructor uniforms so they can be resold. Volunteer Chrissy Jahier and local seamstresses have been working together with partners One Tree at a Time. Instructor uniforms were donated by Mint Snowboarding and Billski. You can see in the image how the logos have been...
Morzine and Avoriaz 1800 have started their campaign to be awarded the ‘Flocon Vert’ label, only awarded to ski resorts that demonstrate high levels of sustainability and environmental responsibility. The accolade is awarded by the organisation Mountain Riders and recognises destinations that demonstrate a commitment to a sustainable development policy. The threshold is set very...
Are you looking forward to travelling again once lockdown ends, but are concerned about the risk of taking a train journey? You shouldn’t be: don’t be put off the greenest form of transport. Risk of Infection is less than 0.01% According to research by the RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board), the risk of Covid-19...
This is a great resource from the Green Session team for anyone thinking about buying new ski wear but also trying to minimise their impact on the environment. Cut through the ‘greenwash’ Created by Frenchmen Pierre and Vincent, the guide aims to cut through ‘greenwashing’ and while the technical aspects of products are important and...
UPDATE 18 JANUARY 2021 News outlets are reporting today that Eurostar is facing ‘an existential threat’. Eurostar was ‘not asking for special treatment’, but access to the same help as companies in similar positions (e.g. airlines) have received, such as business rates relief and loans. “Without additional funding from government, there is a real risk...
Italian manufacturer Prinoth has announced the first hydrogen-powered snow groomer. The new LEITWOLF h2MOTION piste basher will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and is currently being tested by the South Tyrolean company. Prinoth also has a fully electric model, the HUSKY eMOTION, in development. Anton Seeber, president of the HTI group, said: “For us,...
We are delighted to report that French resort Les Arcs has been awarded the Flocon Vert label. Iain Martin, founder of the Ski Flight Free campaign, travelled to the resort in December 2019 to review its sustainability credentials. You can read his article, which was published by InTheSnow.com earlier this year. First ‘Flocon Vert’ resort in...
Vail Resorts has confirmed their plan to have zero net emissions across their portfolio by 2030 in their ‘Epic Promise’ Increase in renewables The plan means that all 34 of Vail’s US resorts aim to be 93% powered by renewable electricity by 2023. The change will be driven by two major renewable energy projects. The...
