Friday 9th June 2017, at the meeting of the Community Council of the Chamonix valley, the elected representatives approved the financial plan of Kandahar and the schedule for the reconfiguration works of the legendary black piste "La Verte des Houches".
The elected representatives of the Community Council approved the financial plan for an estimated total cost of about € 10 million excluding taxes.
The objective of the Community is to turn Chamonix into an annual stage for the Kandahar Alpine Ski World Cup.
So, the Chamonix valley will host in 2020, then in 2021, two races: a downhill competition and an alpine men-combined.
According to Le Dauphine, the works on the "Verte" Piste will start in autumn 2018 and will last one year.
La "Verte" Piste is the only FIS authorised downhill piste in the Haute-Savoie included on the men's World Cup circuit. In France, only the resorts of Val d'Isère and Chamonix have a men's downhill piste on the World Cup circuit.
The "Verte" Piste of Les Houches
Altitude at the start gate: 1871m
Altitude at the finish line: 1001m
Vertical drop: 870m
Length: 3343m
The investment plan aims to:
- create a road tunnel to allow the slope to span across the route of col de Voza, currently crossed by the slope;
- extend twice the current size of the tunnel of the RD 213, located above the Camping Bellevue;
- create a third tunnel which will enable skiers from the Prarion to pass under the black slope, thus avoiding the crossroad of the two flows and, above all, allowing the skiers to continue skiing if the Kandahar is taking place.
- truncate a part of the forest, located upstream of the arrival snowshoe;
- terrace the slope to allow the Parallel Slalom race;
- expand the arrival snowshoe located at the foot of the descent;
- produce more artificial snow by multiplying the number of the snow cannons.
All these works will involve the acquisition of land, for which € 1 million will be allocated.
According to Le Dauphine, on the overall budget, the community of communes will provide € 2 million (20%). The government, through the National Centre for the Development of Sport (CNDS) will complete up to 12% (€ 1.2 million). Also the departmental and regional councils will each contribute about 30% (about € 3 million).
There will remain € 775,000 to get from other investors. The lift operator, the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, could be a potential investor, among other partners, as the elected representatives consider that the works will offer a "service to the commercial activity".
