The idea of an international cable-car link between
Italy and a neighboring country had attracted the
attention of the Count Lora Totino. His idea was to
link the Italian side of the Matterhorn with
Zermatt, but the Swiss authorities didn’t give
permission. The Count diverted his interest to an
even more prestigious project, linking Courmayeur to
Chamonix through the extraordinary massif of Mont
Blanc.
“...E’ imminente l’inaugurazione della Funivia dei
Ghiacciai, che completa il gigantesco ponte di fili
gettato tra l’Italia e la Francia, ponte che
consentira' a chiunque ne abbia necessita' e desiderio
di passare in poco piu' di un’ora da Courmayeur a
Chamonix.” (La Domenica del Corriere del 1958)
On the Italian side there was a pre-existing
cable-car linking Courmayeur and Rifugio Torino
(3300 m). Building the next part to reach Punta
Helbronner was not a problem, the great difficulty
was crossing 5 km of glaciers under continuous
movement.
This amazing piece of engineering is 15 km long and
includes 3 sections.
Building the lifts
Cable car
The first one links La Palud to Rifugio
Torino. This section was built during the war
and as soon as it was opened the cables were severed
by French fighter planes firing on them. The
cable-car was then opened to the public in 1948.
The second section linking Chamonix to the
Aiguille du Midi was opened to the public in
1956, and extends over 5416 m with a vertical climb
of 2812 m . The first task was to link Chamonix
(1030 m) and Plan des Aiguilles (2317 m), and then
the following year the section reaching the Aiguille
du Midi (3842 m) was built.
The third section linking Rifugio Torino to the
Aigulle du Midi was opened in 1958, using the Gros
Rognon as natural support for the cables.
The Glaciers cable-car begins at Punta Helbronner,
and is undoubtedly the most interesting and
spectacular section from both a technical and
panoramic point of view.
The Count Lora Totino developed the idea of an
aerial pylon to support the cables linking the Gros
Rognon and Punta Helbronner as it was impossible to
install a normal pylon on the glaciers.
Glacier gondola
1960s cable car
La realizzazione del pilone aereo si rese necessario
perchè, il tratto tra il Gros Rognon e la Punta
Helbronner è una campata unica di 3300 metri.
Necessitava quindi da un sostegno, altrimenti le
funi, non tenute, si sarebbero adagiate sulle nevi
del Col des Flambeaux.
Scartata l’ipotesi di appoggiare un pilone normale
sul ghiacciaio sottostante (instabilita' dei
ghiacciai), il conte Lora Totino penso' alla
possibilita' di costruire appunto un pilone aereo. Lo
studio', fece esperimenti nel giardino della sua
villa, poi diede l’incarico della realizzazione
all’ing. Zignoli.
Per avere un’idea del lavoro che è stato fatto,
basti ricordare che di funi, tra quelle che sono
state stese, altre andate perdute o tenute di
riserva, ne sono state portate lassu' circa 300
chilometri.
Impossibile parlare di Courmayeur e delle Funivie
del Monte Bianco senza che il pensiero corra al
Conte Giovanni Battista Gilberti.
Count Giovanni Battista Gilberti in 1957 bought the shares of the Monte Bianco Society from the Count Lora Totino. He then became the President and major share holder of the society owning the Funivie Monte Bianco.
