According to Samoens, lift lines and ascent times should be greatly reduced by the new lift.

The new Chariande Express six seater chairlift is ready to begin operation at the French Grand Massif region resort village of Samoens when the resort opens in early December.

According to the resort, the new 2.26km long lift ascends from 1,536m to 2,119m in just six minutes with a passenger capacity of 3,000 people per hour, more than doubling the previous capacity. It replaces two old chairlifts and an old drag lift, more than doubling capacity as well as greatly decreasingly ascent time.

Skiers will be able to get from village level at 700m to 2200m in less than 20 minutes, 16 less than before. An average skier should now be able to get to the bottom of the DMC lift in Flaine in about half an hour from Samoens village.

“This new lift will quite radically change skiing from Samoens,” said a resort spokesperson. “The time savings at busy times when queues used to develop on the old lifts will be even greater.”

Slope improvement work will also be finished in time for the resort’s opening, which should offer more skiing for mixed abilities.

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