Ski Lifts News 2010/11

COURCHEVEL

The Plantrey 4-seater detachable chair lift has been replaced by a 6-seater detachable high speed chair lift.

S3V, along with its subsidiary company SOMMITAL, have developed an innovative chair lift safety system known as the "Magnestick Bar". This device magnetically locks the safety bar on specially equipped chair lifts to ensure that it never accidentally lifts during the journey due to a lapse of concentration or general clumsiness. It also stops skiers from lifting the safety bar too early when disembarking from the chair lift. There are 14 equipped chair lifts ready for winter 11-12.

MERIBEL

The first phase of construction for the new Plattières gondola lift has begun (in 2011). The new single-section direct lift is intended to replace the first 2 sections of the existing gondola lift from 2012-2013, and will be built to the following specifications : 3,178 metres long, over a 734 metre vertical drop, 8 seats, with a transport capacity of 2,700 skiers and pedestrians per hour. A real backbone from the Meribel Valley towards Les Menuires et Val Thorens, the gondola lift will transport passengers to the top of the Plattières 2 in under 9 minutes, as opposed to the 25 minutes the journey currently takes.

In close partnership with the Comag company, building works began on the 2nd section of the Saulire Express, soon-to-be an 8-seater gondola lift. This second section will transport passengers to the top of the Tournier couloir and will be open to the public from december. Pending the completion on the 1st section, the lift is provisionally planned to transport 2,000 passengers per hour. The first section is due to open in December 2012.

S3V, along with its subsidiary company SOMMITAL, have developed an innovative chair lift safety system known as the "Magnestick Bar". This device magnetically locks the safety bar on specially equipped chair lifts to ensure that it never accidentally lifts during the journey due to a lapse of concentration or general clumsiness. It also stops skiers from lifting the safety bar too early when disembarking from the chair lift. There are 14 equipped chair lifts ready for winter 11-12.


VAL THORENS

Funitel de Thorens : Funitel in Val Thorens, opening up a whole new ski area within the Val Thorens domain.
Val Thorens' 4th funitel lift will have 2 trains, each with two 33-seater cabins moving continuously on an automatic cycle. Journey time will be around 2 minutes and the lift will be able to transport 1,500 people an hour. This new back-and-forth funitel lift provides access to the Col du Bouchet (3,003 metres) from the La Portette chair lift (2,795 metres), in order to serve a new section of the slope situated underneath the Pointe de Thorens and its glacier (3,250 metres).