Skyway Monte Bianco

Last updated
Skyway Monte Bianco
Skyway Monte Bianco.jpg
Percorso Skyway Monte Bianco vista frontale.jpg
Overview
StatusOperational
Country Flag of Italy.svg Italy
Coordinates 45°48′57″N6°57′23″E / 45.81583°N 6.95639°E / 45.81583; 6.95639
Termini Entrèves, Courmayeur
Pointe Helbronner
Construction cost€138 million [1]
Open2015
Operation
OperatorFunivie Monte Bianco S.p.A.
Carrier capacity80 Passengers per cabin
Trip duration4 min first half (Courmayeur to Pavillon), 7 min second half (Pavillon to Pointe Helbronner)
Technical features
Line length4.500 m
Operating speed9 m/s
Vertical Interval2,166  m (7,106  ft)
Construction work on the new Skyway Monte Bianco, 2014 Cantiere nuove funivie del Monte Bianco.jpg
Construction work on the new Skyway Monte Bianco, 2014
Pontal d'Entreves cable car station Pontal d'Entreves.jpg
Pontal d'Entréves cable car station

Skyway Monte Bianco is a cable car in the Italian Alps, linking the town of Courmayeur with Pointe Helbronner on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif. Taking over three years to construct, it opened in 2015 at a cost of 110 million euros, and is considered to be the world's most expensive cable car installation. [1]

Contents

Facilities

From the cablecar base station at Entrèves (at an altitude of 1,300 meters above sea level), the Skyway Monte Bianco rises to a mid-way station at Pavillon Du Mont-Frety at an altitude of 2,173 meters. It takes six minutes to reach this point, during which time the 80-person cabin makes one complete rotation, giving visitors all-round views into the Aosta valley and along both Val Veny and Val Ferret, as well as improved access to the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif and a link via the Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway to the Aiguille du Midi, from where a separate cable car descends to the town of Chamonix in France. [2] [3]

The half-way station of the Pavillon contains a restaurant and conference centre, plus one of the highest botanical gardens in the region, containing some 900 alpine plant species, as well as access to a network of trails. Visitors can continue upwards via a second cable car which also slowly revolves, and takes ten minutes to reach Pointe Helbronner (known as the Eagles Nest) at an altitude of 3,466 meters. Tourist facilities and scenic viewpoints provide close views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille d'Entrèves and the Vallée Blanche, but also views further out towards the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. [3] [2] A tunnel and lift system provide access from the cable car terminus to the Torino Hut, a high-altitude mountain refuge offering accommodation both to tourists and to climbers intending to access the mountaineering routes of the range. [4]

Construction

The Skyway Monte Bianco was designed by architect, Carlo Rossi, took four years to construct, and involved complete rebuilding of the Point Helbronner terminus at a cost of 110 million euros. [5] The cable cars were manufactured by Doppelmayr Cable Car and the top station was engineered so as to minimise energy consumption, and includes solar panels and highly efficient insulation in order to bring it close to a zero-energy building. [2] The horizontal tunnel and vertical well which now give access to Pointe Helbronner, the Torino Hut and the Vallee Blanche, also serve to anchor the cable car station into the rock. The vertical lift shaft is a 5 metre wide well, approximately 70 m in depth. To avoid damage to the structural integrity of the mountain, explosives were not used during the tunnel's construction. Instead, a series of small holes were drilled, each 40 cm diameter, using a technique known as raise boring. The tunnel and vertical shaft together provide firm anchorage to the cable car equipment, each cable of which has to be capable of carrying loads of over 100 tons. The base of the vertical shaft also houses water tanks for fire-fighting purposes. [4]

Permission to construct the new cable car included an agreement to remove the old cable car infrastructure. [6] The full cost of the development, when all the associated infrastructure is included, was 138 million euros, making it the world's most expensive cable car installation at the time of its opening in 2015. [1]

The cableway opened in 23 June 2015, and was much celebrated by the Italians, but ignored by the French. [7] Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi officially opened the new cable car system, and was presented with a golden ice axe by regional president, Augusto Rollandin on their arrival at the summit station on Pointe Helbronner. [8] [9]

Tourism impact

A corresponding, but much older cable car on the northern side of the Mont Blanc massif, which ascends from Chamonix to the Aiguille du Midi, attracts around 500,000 people per annum, with an annual turnover of 16 million euros. Previously the older Funivia Monte Bianco attracted 100,000 visitors per annum, but the new Skyway Monte Bianco was forecast to attract some 300,000 visitors per year. [10]

Concerns were expressed by environmental organisations, both before and after the Skyway's construction. These centred around the 'disproportionate scale' and very high impact of the development on the mountain environment, as well as the commoditisation of the high alpine environment. [11] [12]

View across Mont Blanc massif from Skyway Monte Bianco's panoramic terrace on Punta Helbronner 2015-06-04 Monte Bianco.jpg
View across Mont Blanc massif from Skyway Monte Bianco's panoramic terrace on Punta Helbronner

Film location

In 2016, Skyway Monte Bianco was used as the setting for an action-adventure sequence in a major comedy spy movie, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

Mont Blanc Highest mountain in the Alps (4,808 m)

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising 4,807.81 m (15,774 ft) above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and it is the eleventh most prominent mountain summit in the world. The mountain stands between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France. It gives its name to the Mont Blanc massif, bordering Switzerland and forming part of a larger range referred to as the Graian Alps. The location of the summit of Mont Blanc is on the watershed line between the valleys of Ferret and Veny in Italy and the valleys of Montjoie, and Arve in France, on the border between the two countries. Ownership of the summit area has long been a subject of historical dispute between the two countries.

Chamonix Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2017, it had a population of 8,611.

Aiguille du Midi Mountain in the French Alps

The Aiguille du Midi is a 3,842-metre-tall (12,605 ft) mountain in the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps. It is a popular tourist destination and can be directly accessed by cable car from Chamonix that takes visitors close to Mont Blanc.

Courmayeur Comune in Aosta Valley, Italy

Courmayeur is a town and comune in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.

Mont Blanc massif Mountain range in the Alps

The Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range in the Alps, located mostly in France and Italy, but also straddling Switzerland at its northeastern end. It contains eleven major independent summits, each over 4,000 metres (13,123 ft) in height. It is named after Mont Blanc, the highest point in western Europe and the European Union. Because of its considerable overall altitude, a large proportion of the massif is covered by glaciers, which include the Mer de Glace and the Miage Glacier – the longest glaciers in France and Italy, respectively.

Vallée Blanche Cable Car Passenger cable car

The Vallée Blanche Cable Car, , is a passenger cable car linking a mountain peak above Courmayeur (Italy) to a peak above Chamonix (France) by passing over the Mont Blanc massif, in the Alps. The engineering was developed by Vittorio Zignoli of Polytechnic University of Turin. No helicopters were used, and all the workers were chosen among locals and alpine guides. After a construction period of four years, it began service in 1958.

Dent du Géant Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif

The Dent du Géant is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy.

Dôme du Goûter Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif

The Dôme du Goûter is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif. It is a shoulder of Mont Blanc, whose summit lies two kilometres to the south-east. The Dôme is traversed on ascents of Mont Blanc via the Bosses route.

Alpine Botanical Garden Saussurea

The alpine botanical garden Saussurea is the highest alpine botanical garden in Europe, at 2,173 metres above sea level. It is located in Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy. The Saussurea garden is one of the four alpine botanical gardens in the Aosta Valley, and its 7,000 square metres contain the typical alpine flora of Mont Blanc. Its name comes from Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who made the first known ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786, and from whom the flower Saussurea alpina also takes its name. It is open from June to September.

Pointe Helbronner Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif

Pointe Helbronner is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the Graian Alps on the watershed between France and Italy.

Cosmiques Hut Mountain hut in the Mont Blanc massif

The Cosmiques Hut is a mountain hut in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps at an altitude of 3,613 m. It is a large structure capable of accommodating 148 mountaineers. It was constructed in 1990 on a rock promontory situated between the Col du Midi and the base of the Cosmiques Arête which descends southwards from the Aiguille du Midi. It gives access to a number of classic alpine mountaineering routes, and has proved to be extremely popular with mountaineers, so much so that in the summer months prior booking a few days beforehand is essential in order to secure a bed. The Hut is wardened between mid-February and mid-October. In winter the nearby Abri Simond Hut is left unlocked, although this has no cooking facilities, heating or water.

Torino Hut Mountain refuge in the Alps

The Torino Hut is a high mountain refuge in the Alps in northwestern Italy. Located near the border with France, it is about 15 km (10 mi) southwest of Mont Dolent, the tripoint with Switzerland. The refuge is in the Mont Blanc massif above the town of Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley, Italy. It can be most easily accessed from the Italian side by the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car from La Palud in Courmayeur, with a change at the Pavilion du Mont Fréty. It can also be reached from Chamonix via the Aiguille du Midi, either by cable car which crosses the massif, or by a long crossing of the Glacier du Gèant. The refuge lies nearly directly above the 11.6 km (7.2 mi) Mont Blanc Tunnel, which passes deep underground, and connects Courmayer to Chamonix.

Aiguille des Glaciers Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif

The Aiguille des Glaciers is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif of the Graian Alps. It lies on the borders of Savoie and Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy.

Gonella Hut Mountain hut in the Aosta Valley

The Gonella Hut is a high altitude mountain hut in the Aosta Valley in the Mont Blanc massif area of the Alps. It lies at an altitude of 3071 metres, above Val Veny near Courmayeur in Italy. The refuge is located on the Italian 'normal route' to Mont Blanc.

Tour Ronde Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif

The Tour Ronde is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif of the Alps, situated on the border between France and Italy. It is a prominent mountain, some 3.5 km north-east of Mont Blanc, but is effectively part of a continuation of the south eastern spur of Mont Maudit which forms a frontier ridge between the two countries. It is easily accessible to mountaineers and provides not only a very good viewpoint from its summit of the Brenva face and the major peaks on the southern side of Mont Blanc, but it also offers a popular introduction to alpine climbing of all grades, including a north face ascent.

Géant Glacier Glacier on the French side of the Mont Blanc massif

The Géant Glacier is a large glacier on the French side of the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps. It is the main supplier of ice to the Mer de Glace which flows down towards Montenvers. It gets its name from the nearby Dent du Géant.

Borders of France Political boundaries between France and neighboring territories

The borders of France are the international borders that the French Republic shares with neighbouring sovereign states. France has borders with 11 countries, totaling 4,176 kilometres (2,595 mi) for all of France and 2,913 kilometres (1,810 mi) for Metropolitan France.

Aiguilles dEntrèves Mountain peak in the Mont Blanc massif of the Alps

The Aiguilles d'Entrèves is a mountain peak in the Mont Blanc massif of the Alps. It is situated at the head of the Glacier du Géant, and its rocky summit ridge forms part of the frontier between France and Italy. It lies east of the Tour Ronde, between the Col d'Entrèves and the Col Occidental de Toule. It has a steep, sound face of red granite and can be readily accessed from the Torino Hut/Pointe Helbronner.

Aiguille de Toule Mountain peak in the Mont Blanc massif

The Aiguille de Toule is a mountain peak in the Mont Blanc massif of the Alps. Its summit is one of a number which form part of the mountainous frontier ridge between France and Italy which descends eastwards from Mont Blanc and continues towards the Grandes Jorasses and Mont Dolent.

Brenva Glacier Glacier located on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif

The Brenva Glacier is a valley glacier, located on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps. It is the second longest and eighth largest glacier in Italy, and descends down into Val Veny, close to Entrèves, near Courmayeur. Over the centuries it has experienced a number of major rock avalanches which have shaped the glacier and influenced its movement.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Marclay, Bernard (12 August 2015). "A Fierce Competition in Mont Blanc". www.mountainwilderness.org. Mountain Wilderness. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Evans, Joel (3 July 2015). "Skyway Monte Bianco A Trip Up Courmayeur's Newest Attraction". www.chamonet.com. Chamonet. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 Hendricks, Heather (9 July 2015). "New Skyway Monte Bianco Opens on Italian Side of Mount Blanc". snowboarding.transworld.net. Transworld Snowboarding. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Torino Hut Tunnel". www.cordeemontblanc.eu. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "New Cable Car on the Italian Side of Mont Blanc". www.lovecourmayeur.com. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "New Ropeways Are Open". www.cordeemontblanc.eu. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Marchetti, Sylvia (2 October 2015). "The peak of discord". Politico. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "A Matteo Renzi la piccozza d'oro della Grivel". expo.planetmountain.com. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Pellisier, Cristian (23 July 2015). "Renzi inaugurate the Skyway Mont Blanc: "Italian Pride" (in Italian)". La Stampa Aosta. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. ↑ Carrel, François (24 July 2015). "Mont Blanc vs Monte Bianco". www.liberation.fr. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Marclay, Bernard (7 August 2015). "Mont Blanc: RAI's reality show blasted". www.mountainwilderness.org. Mountain Wilderness. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  12. ↑ Marclay, Bernard (8 September 2015). "But who cares of the Mont-Blanc preservation?". www.mountainwilderness.org. Mountain Wilderness. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  13. ↑ Mahoney, Ellie (22 May 2017). "Kingsman 2 filmed on SkyWay Monte Bianco". Chamonet. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  14. ↑ Failes, Ian (24 October 2017). "The VFX secrets behind Kingsman: The Golden Circle's stomach-churning cable car scene". alphr. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.