France’s Lift Revolution: The New Generation of Mountain Transport Transforming Winter 2026-27

French ski resorts are entering the 2026-27 season with one of the most ambitious waves of lift investment seen anywhere in the Alps. After French ski areas invested €555 million in 2025 and reclaimed the world’s top position with 56.1 million skier days during winter 2025-26, operators have continued to modernise infrastructure, focusing not only on capacity and comfort but increasingly on carbon reduction, energy efficiency, reuse and landscape integration.

From the high glaciers of Chamonix to the southern Alps of Montgenèvre, a clear theme is emerging. The next generation of mountain transport is not simply about moving more people faster. It is about building a more sustainable, resilient and year-round mountain economy.

A New Era Begins at Les Grands Montets

Perhaps no project better symbolises this transformation than the new Lognan gondola serving the iconic Grands Montets sector above Argentière.

The 10-passenger Doppelmayr gondola replaces the first section of the historic aerial tramway, whose intermediate station was destroyed by fire in 2018. Running from 1,235m to 1,967m altitude, the new lift covers 1,657 metres in just six and a half minutes. Environmental considerations shaped the entire project, including on-site concrete production to reduce transport emissions, recycled materials in stations and towers, bird protection measures and construction scheduling designed around wildlife breeding seasons. The installation is part of a wider €160 million redevelopment programme that will ultimately restore access to the upper Grands Montets through a new 3S gondola planned for 2027.

For Chamonix, the project represents the next chapter in rebuilding one of the Alps' most legendary freeride destinations.

Fewer Towers, Greater Capacity

Several resorts have embraced a common strategy: replacing ageing chairlifts with high-capacity gondolas while reducing their physical footprint on the landscape.

At Le Dévoluy, the new Jas gondola replaces a 1989 detachable quad chairlift. The Leitner installation cuts the number of support towers from 18 to nine while reducing travel time from 15 minutes to seven. Power consumption is also reduced through a more efficient drive system.

Similarly, Font-Romeu's new Carlit Express six-seat detachable chairlift halves transport times on the popular La Calme sector. Equipped with Leitner's DirectDrive technology, the lift delivers quieter operation and approximately 12 per cent lower electricity consumption while requiring fewer towers than its predecessor.

Across the country, operators increasingly view lift replacement as an opportunity to simplify infrastructure rather than expand it.

The Circular Economy Comes to the Mountains

One of the most significant industry developments is the growing acceptance of lift reuse.

Val Cenis has emerged as a pioneer of circular-economy thinking. Its new Grand Coin detachable six-pack chairlift is in fact a relocated installation previously operating at Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse. By reusing existing infrastructure, the project reportedly required ten times fewer raw materials and generated roughly half the greenhouse gas emissions associated with constructing a comparable new lift.

The same philosophy is evident at Les Gets, where the new Pointe du Chéry detachable six-pack incorporates around 80 per cent of the components from the former Grains d'Or Express chairlift. The project removed four separate lifts, dramatically reducing visual impact while improving operational efficiency.

With capital costs rising and sustainability under increasing scrutiny, lift relocation is becoming an attractive solution for many destinations.

Year-Round Tourism Driving Investment

Another striking trend is the way lift projects are increasingly being designed for all-season operation.

The new Tournaboup gondola at Grand Tourmalet not only improves winter skier circulation but is specifically configured to transport hikers, mountain bikers and snowshoe users. The development is part of a broader strategy to support four-season tourism across the Pyrenees.

At Val Cenis, the conversion of the Ramasse six-pack chairlift into a telemix system adding gondola cabins alongside existing chairs aims to improve access for pedestrians visiting the Mont Cenis plateau. The area supports activities ranging from hiking and sled dog excursions to snowkiting, demonstrating how ski-lift infrastructure increasingly serves a broader mountain tourism market.

Font-Romeu's Carlit Express will also provide new pedestrian access towards the Bouillouses area and mountain refuges, further strengthening the resort's non-ski offering.

Montgenèvre Pushes Technological Boundaries

Among the most innovative developments is the complete redevelopment of Montgenèvre's Chalvet sector.

Two new 10-passenger Doppelmayr gondolas, Chalvet and Fournéous, replace older installations and dramatically improve circulation towards the summit. Travel times are reduced from around 15 minutes to five minutes on upper sections, while throughput increases substantially.

More significantly, the Fournéous gondola will become the first lift in the Southern Alps to feature Doppelmayr's AURO autonomous operation technology. While staff will remain on-site for guest assistance and supervision, automated operation points towards the next evolution of ropeway technology.

Across Europe, autonomous lift systems are generating considerable interest as operators seek solutions to labour shortages and rising operational costs.

Accessibility and Guest Experience in Focus

Beyond headline technology, many projects are centred on improving accessibility and reducing bottlenecks.

Valmorel's new Combelouvière gondola features 10-passenger cabins suitable for wheelchair users and adaptive skiing equipment. It also includes one of the largest line-angle deviations ever built on a French monocable detachable gondola, allowing engineers to optimise the route while minimising environmental impacts.

At Les Contamines, the replacement Gorge gondola addresses one of the resort's most persistent challenges. Previous peak-season queues could exceed an hour. Capacity has now been significantly increased, with operators expecting maximum wait times to fall below 20 minutes. Additional facilities, including ski lockers and public amenities, further enhance the visitor experience.

Meanwhile, Peisey-Vallandry has bid farewell to its famous "red salad basket" lift, replacing the cherished but ageing Lonzagne telebenne with a modern Télévillage gondola that improves comfort, accessibility and energy efficiency while preserving a vital village-to-slopes connection.

France Sets the Pace

What makes the 2026-27 investment cycle remarkable is not simply the scale of spending but the consistency of its objectives.

Whether in Chamonix, Val Cenis, Montgenèvre, Les Gets or Font-Romeu, resorts are pursuing similar goals: lower energy consumption, reduced visual impact, greater accessibility, increased four-season functionality and improved passenger comfort. Recycled infrastructure, autonomous operations, telemix systems and energy-efficient drives are rapidly moving from niche concepts to mainstream solutions.

For skiers arriving this winter, the changes will be measured in shorter queues and faster journeys. For the wider mountain industry, however, these projects signal something more significant: a blueprint for how Alpine transport infrastructure may develop over the coming decade.

France's lift revolution is no longer just about reaching the summit. Increasingly, it is about how responsibly the journey gets there.