La Plagne’s New Roche de Mio Gondola

La Plagne has reported work progressing well on its new Roche de Mio lift.

Following the construction of the new glaciers gondola lift over the past few years, La Plagne is now replacing its Roche de Mio gondola to improve passenger flow and comfort on a key route up to the top of the slopes, connecting with the glaciers lifts.

The €36 million investment is part of a plan announced in 2019, which aims to create more of a year-round
business for the future through major projects such as the modernization of the Glacier sector.

The new Roche de Mio lift will not only be a bigger, faster and more comfortable gondola with 10-seat cabins and direct drive, but the route will be tweaked for better fluidity, and there'll be an intermediate station.

The lower station will now be located on the Plagne Bellecote snow front at 1933m, and the upper station near the Carella lift at 2714m, with the intermediate station located by the Col de Forcle ski lift at 2275m.

The route will therefore be less direct but will allow the creation of a summer leisure base with the development of the Forcle lake with a water ski lift, restaurant and terrace. It should also allow for better skier distribution around the mountains.

The first section of the lift is 1942 metre, the section another 2,600 metres and uphill capacity will be 3,140 people/hour. The lift is due to open next year.

So will this run along side the existing lift to increase capacity or will the old lift terminate at Belle Plagne? Belle Plagne is only accessible from Plagne Bellcote this way and the new lift clearly now bypasses that station. I presuming that if they keep old lift just to connect Belle Plagne, then where does the new station go for the new gondola? Its already pretty congested down there with Colosses and Blanchets chairlifts and the existing Roche De Mio gondola?

Adjo82 wrote:So will this run along side the existing lift to increase capacity or will the old lift terminate at Belle Plagne? Belle Plagne is only accessible from Plagne Bellcote this way and the new lift clearly now bypasses that station. I presuming that if they keep old lift just to connect Belle Plagne, then where does the new station go for the new gondola? Its already pretty congested down there with Colosses and Blanchets chairlifts and the existing Roche De Mio gondola?

Alas you know La Plagne better than I do, but I asked them so hopefully some of below answers question/helpful…

Roche de Mio gondola project

The Société d'Aménagement de La Plagne's aim is to facilitate visitor access to the highest area of the resort (3,080 m) in both summer and winter.

The first step was Les Glaciers gondola which has been in operation since December 2023. The last chain in the whole project is the redevelopment of the Roche de Mio gondola. Opening planned for December 2025.

What will change?

- Removal of the existing Roche de Mio gondola from Belle Plagne to Roche de Mio, keeping just the section between Plagne Bellecôte and Belle Plagne.
- Construction of a new gondola following a different line: starting from Plagne Bellecôte (1,930 m) passing through an intermediate station at Col de Forcle (2,273 m) and arriving at Roche de Mio (2,739 m).
- Capacity: 10 seats (6 seats in the current gondola)
- Skier flow: 3,140 people/hr (1,440 people/hr in the current gondola)
- Journey time: 7 to 9 minutes (16 to 17 minutes in the current gondola)

To reply specifically to: "So will this run along side the existing lift to increase capacity or will the old lift terminate at Belle Plagne?"

The old lift will terminate at Belle Plagne.

The video here shows the whole project: https://vimeo.com/960101558/03bf87bc9c

Great reply thanks and their video explains the new route layout easier. It's also impressive that despite the massive longer detour, the new lift will half the current time taken to reach Roche de mio from Plagne Bellecote