Grand Montets opening update
As we reported at the end of last week, the Grand Montets ski area will not be opening until December 20th at the earliest, due to a technical fault with the cable of the Lognan cable car. A recent press release from the Compagnie du Mont Blanc has shed some light on the problems being encountered, and it seems to be a problem with the structure of the load cable during tests last month.
The recent tests are resulting from new regulations introduced for cable cars safety standards and are far more detailed than previous methods used. In May, the cable was thoroughly tested under the former regime and no problems were revealed. However, the new tests comprise of an x-ray examination of the cable and the results have left the CMB in a bit of a pickle!
Faced with two choices; continue with the opening of the area as planned but under a far stricter examination that would require 2 days closure per month and potentially run the risk that the site got closed down entirely for repairs; or delay opening and replace the cable. Opting for the latter, they called on the services of cable specialists Tréfileurope based in Bourg-en-Bresse to make them a new cable for the Lognan. It will require considerable effort to get the cable made at such short notice, but it seems to be in good hands, at this company have just supplied Les Houches with the longest cable car cable in the world!
We have also had it confirmed that the Plan Joran Chairlift will not be opening to allow earlier access to the ski area, as the cables are too close to those of the Lognan, rendering it unsafe to repair one lift whilst operating the other.
The CMB will have everything crossed that all goes to plan for the scheduled opening around December 20th, thus avoiding a repeat of their disastrous summer season in 2004 when a maintenance team dropped the cable of the Aiguille du Midi , followed by that incident when the cabin crashed through the base station…….!
