Call for the Generalitat to regulate the dismantling of abandoned ski stations

Mountain Wilderness Catalunya demands regulations to determine who should remove the lifts from closed stations. They have already inventoried a dozen old centres and unused areas in the Pyrenees.

According to nevasport.com, the organisation Mountain Wilderness Catalunya is asking the Generalitat for regulations that clarify who should remove the lifts and facilities when a ski station ceases operations permanently. The organisation has already counted a dozen old centres and unused areas in the Pyrenees, citing France as an example.

The remnants of old stations continue to accumulate in the Catalan Pyrenees without any specific regulation on what to do with them when activity ceases. The organisation suggests that, after a period of inactivity, the facilities should be treated as waste and removed from the mountain.

During this summer, its members have visited old stations and closed areas on both sides of the mountain range. Among the Catalan cases are Llessuí, which closed in 1987, La Tuca, which ceased operations in 1989, Rasos de Peguera, and the Estivella sector in Port del Comte, which was taken out of service more recently.

Not all cases are the same. Rasos de Peguera argues that the old domain remains active year-round and that there are initiatives to recover part of its facilities, thus rejecting the label of an abandoned station. Mountain Wilderness warns that the problem will worsen as other facilities reach the end of their useful life and announces that it will soon publish its inventory.

Regarding responsibility, the organisation proposes that it first falls on the developer, then on the landowner, and ultimately on the administration that authorised the construction. It also suggests studying a financial guarantee in advance, similar to a deposit, to ensure funds for future dismantling.

The organisation also alerts to a safety risk. Its members claim to have seen people playing on abandoned chairlifts, raising the question of who would be liable in case of an accident.

For the residents and visitors of the Pyrenees, the situation means that pylons, cables, and buildings could remain on the mountain for decades without a clear rule. Mountain Wilderness wants the Generalitat to act before the number of closures increases.