At the Mountain Planet trade fair, MND unveils the future 10-seater gondola lift in Saint-Lary, its latest innovations, and the world’s largest pylon zip line

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The French industrial group MND, a specialist in cable mobility, snowmaking systems, mountain safety and thrill-seeking leisure infrastructures, will be unveiling its latest innovations at the Mountain Planet international mountain development trade fair in Grenoble/Alpexpo from 26 to 28 April 2022. More than 18,000 professional visitors from over 70 countries are expected to attend this international mountain development event, a showcase of market trends for professionals and the global mountain ecosystem (manufacturers, elected officials, local authorities, accommodation providers, ski area operators, etc.).

Saint-Lary, the largest ski area in the French Pyrenees, entrusts MND ROPEWAYS with the construction of three strategic lifts

Altiservice, a key player in the ski areas of the Pyrenees, has chosen the French industrial group MND to build three new ski lifts in its resort: the «Espiaube» gondola and two detachable 6-seater chairlifts, «Forêt» and «Tourette». Awarded in 2021, this is the biggest investment in cable transport in France for the winter of 2022/2023 in mountain territories. The «Espiaube» gondola reinforces the sector of the same name, a real meeting point between the foot of the slopes as well as the Col du Portet (2215 m altitude) and the summit of the Tourette (2320 m altitude). This new 10-seater gondola will operate in winter and summer and will be delivered with MND ROPEWAYS cabins, for optimum comfort for skiers and pedestrians. The installation includes an automatic storage garage for the cabins in the bottom station, which will improve the availability of the lift and reduce maintenance costs. The two detachable 6-seater chairlifts, «Forêt» and «Tourette», will make the customer’s journey more fluid and improve intra-station links. The «Tourette» and «Espiaube» infrastructures will together ensure the connection to the heart of the resort and will be commissioned for winter 2022, while the «Forêt» lift will be put into service in 2023.

Key figures

Espiaube: Length 1862m / Elevation: 724m / 2800 p/h / travel time: less than 6 min
Tourette: Length 1290m / Elevation:  292m / 2800 p/h / travel time: 4 min
Forêt: Length 1560m / Elevation: 604m / 2400 p/h / travel time: 5 min

Chamrousse, a 4-season mountain with the world longest zipline with pylon and a 130-metre footbridge over the Casserousse couloir.

To support the development of the winter and summer attractivity of the Chamrousse resort in Isère, France, MND will build a giant zip line and a suspended footbridge. At 1,904 meters in length, this is the largest zip line with two intermediate pylons and 600 meters drop. Connecting the summit of the Croix de Chamrousse at 2 253 meters with the heart of the resort at Recoin, on the track of the gondola. The 130-meter footbridge will fly over the black slope of the Casserousse couloirs, the mythical slope of the 1968 Grenoble Olympic Games. Construction will begin this spring and the bridge will be operational in the fall.

MND unveils its latest innovations at Mountain Planet

Avawatch™: artificial intelligence to model avalanche risk

MND SAFETY, the world leader in remote avalanche control, has developed an autonomous device placed in the couloir downstream of the blaster that detects the passage of the avalanche and models its size. This is key data for operators who, from a distance, must be able to ensure that the piste, road or protected infrastructure is properly secured.

O’Bell’X™ option +

O’Bell’X™ is a removable remote avalanche triggering system based on the explosion of a hydrogen/oxygen gas mixture inside an open cone. This non-polluting, low visual impact, fully removable system is environmentally friendly and suitable for nature reserves and protected sites. The new O’BellX TM option + has already been installed and commissioned this winter at 7 sites worldwide, including 5 in France: Val Thorens, Morzine, Flaine, Les Carroz and Les 7 Laux. The O’Bell’X™ option + offers twice the shooting power of its initial version, to better adapt to all types of terrain. It has all the advantages of a 100% removable device thanks to its patented transport hook, which facilitates its installation and maintenance by helicopter.

A new software to remotely control avalanche triggering systems

In order to react as quickly as possible to the avalanche risk and to control it remotely, MND SAFETY deploys the latest generation of its remote-control software. Accessible on PC, tablet or smartphone, this new digital interface allows a more intuitive use and integrates all the existing functionalities as well as the piloting of all the latest MND SAFETY security solutions.

MND SNOW facilitates the management of automated snow networks

MND SNOW is a forerunner in the automated management of snowmaking installations, having deployed the first dedicated software in 2002. Resource optimization, real-time monitoring, intelligent snowmaking scheduling… A number of historical options have been reinvented, as well as new features such as 3D viewing for more efficient management of the snowmaking system.