Industry News
The redevelopment of the cable car to the summit of Les Grands Montets in Chamonix, France, has hit a major setback. On Wednesday, October 2, around 12:45 p.m., the crane positioned at the top of the construction site at an altitude of 3,300 meters (10,827 feet) suffered a critical failure when the boom of the crane collapsed, tumbling onto a nearby rocky wall and halting work indefinitely.
“We’ve just come out of six days of extreme weather, with snow and wind gusts over 100 kmh [62.5 mph],” said Antoine Burnet, commercial and marketing director of the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, in a press release. “This morning, workers were performing de-icing procedures when the crane’s boom detached and fell onto the rock face.”
Thankfully, no workers were injured in the incident. The fallen boom, standing 18 meters tall and weighing nearly 15 tons, was specially designed for the construction of the new Grands Montets summit station. Its loss is expected to significantly delay the project, as the crane is now inoperable. “The crane’s jib, which remains wedged against the mountain, has been secured. We will conduct an aerial inspection by drone or helicopter in the coming hours or days,” stated the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc in a formal announcement. Depending on the diagnosis as well as weather conditions, the jib will be either stored or secured for the winter.
The Grands Montets redevelopment project is critical to restoring access to the summit, which has been inaccessible by gondola for almost six years. Since September 2018, when a devastating fire completely destroyed the Lognan mid-station at 1,972 meters (6,470 feet), the link between Argentière 1,252 meters (4,108 feet) and the summit at 3,275 meters (12,320 feet) has been cut off. The Grands Montets station, renowned for its challenging slopes and situated below the towering Aiguille Verte, has been a critical piece of Chamonix’s ski infrastructure.
- Related: VIDEO: Breaking News – Lognan Cable Car, Chamonix, France on Fire this Afternoon Sept. 11th 2018
“For now, all activity on the site is halted,” Burnet confirmed. “Security and inspection operations will be carried out in the coming hours, after which we’ll decide whether to resume construction this season or pause until conditions improve.”
The Compagnie du Mont-Blanc had previously announced that the new cable car, which will once again connect skiers to the top of the Grands Montets, was expected to be operational by December 2026. However, this recent setback may further push back the timeline for reopening. The four new cable car stations were designed by world-famous architect Renzo Piano, who designed, amongst many other things, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France, and the Shard in London, UK. The snow-crystal-inspired designs are being constructed by Boma Constructions, while the cable car infrastructure is built by Doppelmayr. The total project was originally budgeted for €155 million ($169 million), but delays from its original completion date of 2024 as well as this recent setback will likely have taken the project over budget.
The Grands Montets ski area, nestled within the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc valley, is revered by expert skiers and snowboarders for its steep, off-piste terrain. The Chamonix region in France includes five main ski areas. La Balme, Les Grands Montets, Brévent, Flégère, and Les Houches. Les Grands Montets is known for its expansive vertical drop and high-altitude skiing, offering slopes that stretch from 3,275 meters (12,320 feet) down to 1,235 meters (4,052 feet), giving a total of 2,040 meters (6,693 feet) of vertical.
The redevelopment project is seen as critical to reviving the resort, which has been a key draw for both tourists and the local economy. The new summit station, along with improved lift infrastructure, is expected to enhance the overall skiing experience once completed. However, with this crane incident, both the timeline and safety protocols for the site will be closely scrutinized in the coming months.
