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Courmayeur - Funivie Monte Bianco

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History
Pavillon Refuge 1920
Pavillon Refuge 1920
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
Building the lifts
Cable car
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
Glacier gondola
1960s cable car
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.

 

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Courtesy of Funivie Monte Bianco

 


© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
TangoItalia - Food, Wine, Travel, and... tango in Italy.

 

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