sixth December 2024
EXCLUSIVE: The Cime Caron cable automobile crashed simply forward of the resort’s opening final month. PlanetSKI can reveal the cabins are to get replaced & the raise is not going to open this winter. NEW
It was carrying 16 resort staff and was being operated manually on the time of the accident.
Six individuals had been injured, two critically.
We reported on it on the time:
PlanetSKI’s, Simon Wilson, is within the resort and went to see the state of repairs.
The broken cabin on the high of the raise stays in place.
Val Thorens, France. Picture © PlanetSKI
Val Thorens, France. Picture © PlanetSKI
The decrease cabin can be wedged into the bottom station and is broken.
The picture from the underside the the raise was despatched to us by PlanetSKI reader, Steven Gwilliam.
Val Thorens, France. Picture © Steven Gwilliam.
Simon recorded this video report on the high station forward of discovering the information that it will be shut for the remainder of the season.
Simon discovered its future only a few hours later after requesting an interview with the Director of the Val Thorens Tourism Workplace, Vincent Lalanne.
He introduced the information of the closure for the season solely to PlanetSKI.
“We may restore the broken cabins”, Monsieur Lalanne informed PlanetSKI, “however we’re an enormous resort and we are able to afford to plan forward with two model new trendy cabins,”
He mentioned the cable itself and the mechanism which powers the cable automobile was nonetheless operational, however that the 2 cabins had been badly broken.
He mentioned he was assured the refurbished raise can be again in operation throughout 2025 and in time for the 25/26 winter season.
It’s nonetheless potential to achieve the summit from Val Thorens by taking a collection of chairlifts from the resort after which snowboarding over the again to the mid-station above Orelle within the so-called ‘fourth valley’.
A brand new gondola then goes to the identical level at 3,200m.
Val Thorens, France. Picture © PlanetSKI
Val Thorens, France. Picture © PlanetSKI
The Cime Caron cable automobile was as soon as the longest on the planet on the time of its building in 1982.
It’s a main blow to the resort, however not an insurmountable one.
The Cime Caron was to have been used for the inaugural Freeride World Tour occasion in January, however that may go forward as deliberate.
Riders and spectators might want to take an extended journey, and it is going to be harder to organise and transport the infrastructure wanted.
“Having Val Thorens on the Freeride World Tour for 2025 is a major second,” mentioned the FWT Founder and CEO, Nicolas Hale-Woods.
“The resort’s world-class terrain and dedication to top-tier sports activities make it an ideal match for the Tour.
“We’re excited to see the athletes compete on this distinctive mountain and additional elevate Val Thorens within the freeride world.”
PlanetSKI will likely be within the resort for the Freeride World Tour on the finish of January.
The investigation into the reason for the crash is constant and the Albertville prosecutor has indicated that human error could also be accountable.
The accident occurred in poor climate circumstances and the raise was being operated by hand.
Val Thorens raims to proceed work on a brand new restaurant complicated which is almost full on the summit of Cime Caron.
The accident has delayed last work on the complicated, however Monsieur Lalanne informed us he hoped the brand new restaurant would be capable of open as deliberate in January 2025.
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