The Vanoise Express is to re-open on 20th December 2008 a year after the famous lift’s unexpected closure due to safety concerns.
The lift links the two giant ski areas of La Plagne and Les Arcs to create one of the world’s 10 biggest ski areas (exact position in the world top 10 depends on the measurement system used), Paradiski, with more than 400km (250 miles) of runs spread over 10,000 hectares.

According to the Les Arcs website, some fibres on the original cable coating were found to have broken during a routine inspection last November. That lead to the immediate closure of the cable-car’s operation for the season.
Discussions centering on the definition of replacement cables started when the surveyors first began assessing the damage and a procurement order was issued in January. SELALP, the cable car operator, confirmed an order for new cables with the manufacturer Pomagalski on 14th April and manufacture of the new cables began the next day. The new cables will be installed at the same time as the previous ones are removed, taking account of the surveyors’ initial recommendations. Work is expected to begin in the next few weeks and last four months, with completion in September. The autumn months will be given over to tests prior to the resumption of normal operation.
The spectacular double-decker, 200 passenger-per-cabin lift set records for having the largest single-span of nearly two kilometers between lift towers and for being the highest lift (380m) above a valley floor when it opened in 2003.
However that record was beaten by the “3S” gondola that connects Kitzbühel/Pengelstein and Jochberg/Resterhöhe in Austria when it opened a year later for winter 2004/2005. This has a span of about 2,500m between towers and crosses up to 400m above the Saukasergraben valley. This drop was used to set another world record for the highest high wire walk without safety aids by Falko Traber on 1st October 2006. Mr Traber already held world records for endurance on a high wire and length walked on a high wire.
However, the new Peak2Peak gondola set to open in December in Whistler-Blackcomb will take the title from Kitzbuhel in the two categories of highest above the ground and longest between spans again and, is likely to open before the Vanoise Express re-opens.
The new lift will have a span between two support towers of 3.024km (1.88 miles) and at its highest point will be 436m (1400 feet) over Fitzsimmons Creek.
http://vanoiseexpress.blogspot.com