Risoul
| Risoul | |||
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Main ski resort
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 Risoul
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Location within Provence-A.-C.d'A. region
Risoul
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| Coordinates: 44°38′59″N 6°38′27″E / 44.6497°N 6.6408°ECoordinates: 44°38′59″N 6°38′27″E / 44.6497°N 6.6408°E | |||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | ||
| Department | Hautes-Alpes | ||
| Arrondissement | Briançon | ||
| Canton | Guillestre | ||
| Intercommunality | Guillestre | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Max Bremond | ||
| Area1 | 30.34 km2 (11.71 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2008)2 | 649 | ||
| • Density | 21/km2 (55/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| INSEE/Postal code | 05119 /05600 | ||
| Elevation | 872–2,573 m (2,861–8,442 ft) (avg. 1,174 m or 3,852 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Risoul is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. It is located in the French Alps between the towns of Briançon and Gap.
Risoul has a ski resort. It partners with neighbour Vars to form the Forêt Blanche ski domain, located between the Queyras and Écrins national parks. It is sometimes called Risoul 1850 because it is 1850m above sea level.
The development of a ski resort at Risoul 1850 dates from the start of the 1970s. The first lift operator (SAPAR), however, went bankrupt in 1974. The local member of parliament put the council in touch with the Société Foncière de la Vallée des Allues (SFVA). The SFVA started a company called Sermont which took over the lifts and runs them to this day.
The reasons for the bankruptcy in ’74 still loom. The Durance valley is remote, the trip from Paris by train or car a long one. The A51 motorway link is still awaiting a financial commitment likewise the Montgenèvre rail tunnel to connect Briançon to the TGV network. The nearest major airport is over the border in Italy at Turin. The resort concentrates its efforts on returning clients but still lacks sufficient long stay guests. The Forêt Blanche link with its 180 km of pistes is a major marketing tool, especially with tour operators who can include Risoul with transfers to Montgènevre and Serre Chevalier.
The resort was an early adopter of snowboarding. The Surfland snowpark existed for over a decade and is now complemented by rails for beginners and experienced users. The snowpark was chosen as a training zone for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. The resort believes that the concept of black, red and blue run gradings is outdated and is moving to a series of themed areas such as the freeride zone.
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Wikipedia