Despite the snowy slopes, the Isola 2000 resort has been running at a slow pace for several months. This Wednesday, the situation is different, as the resort’s stakeholders take advantage of the arrival of the youngest visitors.
While Covid-19 continues to hit the Alpes-Maritimes department, the ski resorts are also suffering from the restrictions implemented a few months ago. In the Nice hinterland, the Isola 2000 resort has no choice but to accept this uncomfortable situation.
This Wednesday, February 24th, it’s just 9 am when the resort begins to awaken. The first cars enter the parking lot, and the sun gradually rises to light up the mountains. The resort, located at 2000 meters in altitude as its name suggests, is preparing to face another complicated day. There is little activity at this early hour, with only rental shops opening their doors.
Despite the slopes being closed to tourists, rental shops remain open. The schedule includes several possible activities, such as ski touring, snowshoeing for hikes, or tobogganing for thrill-seekers. On this rest day for children, the “Skiset” shop is bustling in the early morning. This situation, of course, lifts the spirits of Florent R., the owner of the equipment shop: “The season is catastrophic, everyone knows it, but on Wednesdays, there are more people, parents come with their children, these are our best days along with the weekend,” he notes with skis in hand. In the confines of the resort, other businesses are not so lucky. Restaurants, hotels, and even the cinema are closed, making the resort a bit less lively. However, the essential element remains the abundant snow, and snow sports enthusiasts are taking advantage.
Like the air of peak season
As the sunny day progresses at Isola 2000, the resort takes on a different aspect at the beginning of the afternoon. On the ski slopes, ski instructors in their famous red outfits guide children for private ski lessons while parents wait in the sun with a hot drink. The mask has become a distant memory for skiers and hikers, with competitors enjoying the ski lifts to descend the slopes. The atmosphere is warm at Isola 2000, and there’s a crowd at the resort. Wild toboggan runs, hiking trails for the athletic, everyone finds their happiness.
While waiting for the health situation to improve, Isola 2000 tries to stay the course despite a season that will need to be quickly forgotten. The only visible good news on the station’s windows is the pride of the moment, which is, of course, Mathieu Faivre, the recent world champion in alpine and parallel skiing, who hails from the resort.
