The Carroz d’Arâches ski area in Haute-Savoie is about to write a new chapter in its history. After 26 winters of service, the venerable Gron chairlift carried its last skiers on 10 April 2025. Inaugurated in 1998, this 4-seater fixed-grip chairlift had an impressive track record: nearly 24,000 hours of operation and 15.5 million rides, equivalent to the population of Los Angeles. Suffice to say that this old workhorse deserved its ‘retirement’. However, its story does not end there. Rather than building a new lift, the resort made the bold choice to recondition it: a carefully selected second-hand chairlift will take up the torch in the Combe de Gron. This innovative project, combining circular economy and high mountains, illustrates the resort’s desire to combine modernisation, ecology and performance. In this article, we take a look behind the scenes at the technical aspects of this new lift, its green and economic advantages, Les Carroz’s sustainable strategy, and the underlying trend towards reconditioning ski lifts in the Alps. A committed but factual look at a pioneering approach that meets the interests of both skiers and mountain professionals.
Les Carroz: a “new” chairlift thanks to refurbishment
In 2019, Les Carroz’s managers began considering future investments with a clear intention: to modernise certain lifts while retaining the means to finance other large-scale projects. In other words, they needed to innovate without giving up. It was in this context that the idea of a second-hand chairlift emerged as the only pragmatic approach to replacing Gron. At the time, the use of second-hand equipment was still rare in the French Alps. The second-hand market was in its infancy: few recent lifts were available, the price difference was modest (less than 10% savings at the time) and there was limited awareness of infrastructure recycling. In addition, finding a chairlift suitable for the specific layout of Gron was a technical challenge.
The mechanical treasure hunt
For several years, Les Carroz explored every avenue to find the rare gem. After a few false alarms, hope was rekindled in the Pyrenees: the resort of Saint-Lary was preparing to dismantle its 6-seater detachable chairlift at Les Mouscades, a facility in excellent condition and little used. Les Carroz seized the opportunity and acquired this equipment destined for deconstruction. Feasibility studies confirmed that the chairlift would be suitable for the geography of Gron. The ‘planets aligned’ – according to the project managers – and it was then possible to move from theory to practice. The route was redesigned to optimise service: the departure station would remain in the same place, but the line would be redirected to arrive opposite the Molliets chairlift, which would greatly facilitate the connection to the neighbouring resort of Morillon. At the same time, this new route will allow passengers to rediscover the Combe de Gron, an area rich in slopes and generous snowfall but still relatively unknown.
Improved performance: speed, capacity and comfort
The new-generation Gron chairlift promises a quantum leap in quality for users. Instead of the old 4-seater fixed-grip chairlift, the resort is installing an ultra-modern 6-seater detachable chairlift. In concrete terms, this means much greater speed and comfort. The operating speed will increase from 2.5 m/s to 5.5 m/s, more than double the old speed, drastically reducing the ascent time. The journey to the summit will now take only around 3 minutes 36 seconds, compared to 8 minutes previously. In addition, transport capacity will increase from around 2,200 to 2,600 skiers per hour. In other words, queues will be shorter and traffic on the slopes will flow more smoothly.
The switch to detachable technology also brings a significant improvement in comfort and safety. At the departure and arrival stations, the cable slows down to allow for smooth, jolt-free boarding and disembarking. Gone is the stress of the chair arriving too quickly: skiers, especially beginners and younger children, will have time to settle in without rushing. The entire mechanism is quieter and smoother, providing a more peaceful travel experience. For skiers, the difference will be striking: faster, quieter, more comfortable – and it would be difficult to guess that this chairlift has already had a first life elsewhere.
A response to multiple challenges
Behind the scenes, the decision to recondition the Gron chairlift is based on multiple challenges – environmental, economic and technical. Financially, first of all, the argument is a significant one. The cost of equivalent new equipment was estimated at around €10 million, a considerable sum for the resort. By opting for a reused machine, the bill is reduced by around 30%. This represents savings of several million pounds, freeing up resources for other strategic investments (artificial snow, four-season equipment, etc.). In a sector where budgetary balance is crucial, this economic gain is far from insignificant. Other resorts that have adopted the same approach report cost reductions of up to 35% for this type of operation.
But it is above all in environmental terms that reconditioning stands out as a virtuous solution. Rather than using tonnes of steel, concrete and other new materials, the project reuses major components from the existing lift. Motors, gearboxes, pylons, counterweights, stations: all these robust parts are given a second life in Les Carroz instead of ending up prematurely in the scrap heap. As a result, it is estimated that the use of raw materials will be reduced by 80 to 90% compared to a new construction. This drastic reduction in resource consumption translates into a direct decrease in the carbon footprint of the project. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture of components are divided by ten compared to a conventional project. In short, the carbon footprint of the new lift will be incomparable to that of an equivalent new chairlift.
The reuse of the equipment is, of course, accompanied by a thorough refurbishment. Each recovered component has been inspected, tested and renovated to strict standards to ensure optimum reliability and safety. In the end, only 15 to 20% of the components of the Gron chairlift version 2.0 are completely new: mainly the cable, electrical systems, fasteners and seats (‘vehicles’). Everything else comes from reconditioned equipment. This ingenious combination ensures the performance and comfort of a modern installation while minimising waste. Extending the life of what still works and avoiding unnecessary production is the essence of the circular economy as applied to ski lifts. ‘A fine example of discreet innovation in the service of sustainability,’ is how the Carroz Tourist Office sums up the project.
Reconditioning: a fundamental trend in the French mountains
The venture in Les Carroz is part of a broader trend: the reconditioning of ski lifts, which has been gaining ground in the French mountains in recent years. Long considered marginal, this practice of ‘making new from old’ now meets the dual requirements of saving money and reducing carbon emissions. Several iconic resorts have already successfully taken the plunge.
Val Cenis (Haute-Maurienne) inaugurated a detachable chairlift called Roches Blanches in 2024, largely made from reused existing equipment. To replace an ageing 1989 lift, the resort dismantled two lifts in other areas and recovered the parts: the 2 Lacs chairlift in Val Thorens and components from a dismantled lift in Montgenèvre. The result has lived up to expectations: 90% of raw materials have been avoided thanks to the use of second-hand parts, with only 10% of components being new (cable, bolts, etc.).
The installation’s carbon footprint has been reduced by the same proportion (CO₂ emissions divided by ten). On the financial side, Val Cenis estimates that it has saved around 35% of the cost compared to new equipment. ‘Our teams seized the opportunity to do something good for the environment, but also for the economy,’ explains Yves Dimier, director of the resort, about this exemplary project. The new chairlift, which will be operational in winter 2024, also offers greater comfort for skiers and reduces journey times from 12 to 5 minutes, proving that sustainability can go hand in hand with performance.
At the same time, specialised sectors are emerging, both among manufacturers (Poma, Doppelmayr/Garaventa, etc.) and engineering companies, to give dismantled equipment a second life.
