World-famous cable car in French Alps sets sights on March reopen date

A world-famous ski lift forced to remain closed this winter due to faulty cables hopes a March reopening date will partially salvage the season for local businesses. 

Ski lifts providing access to the Glaciers de la Meije near the ‘La Grave’ resort were set to open on December 21, 2024, however a final inspection of the cables discovered major damage forcing the lifts to remain closed. 

It meant the resort became extremely difficult to access for skiers, more than halving the number of visitors to the area and jeopardising local businesses who rely on tourists during the ski season.

Read more: Cable damage stops opening of world-famous French cable car for skiers

Set to reopen at some point near the end of January, one of the lift’s cables snapped during repair works on January 20, damaging a pylon near where 20 people were working.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, said Jean-Pierre Pic, the mayor of La Grave in a post announcing the incident on social media. 

March 15 reopen date 

In the same post, the mayor announced plans for the cable car to re-open on March 15, and remain open until Mid-September, providing an economic lifeline for the resort in the Hautes-Alpes department.

This will include week-day access to the resort using the lifts throughout April and May, and weekend access after this. 

Several checks have been carried out by safety authorities since the incident last week, and the “green light” for the reopening date has been given, the mayor added. 

The reopening will allow skiers to access the off-piste slopes near La Grave, taking their equipment via the ski lift. 

Full information on how the service will run is available in the mayor’s social media post.

Read more: British skier dies in avalanche in French Alps