The world’s highest 3S gondola lift

After two and a half years of construction, the highly technically demanding tricable gondola lift to the Klein Matterhorn was opened on 29 September. Those responsible for the project will remember it as a particularly challenging time, which put man and material to an extraordinary test. The eight-kilometer long hauling rope alone weighs an impressive 67 tons and is freely suspended over a distance of three kilometers at the longest span of the system. The working conditions in the high Alpine environment with temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees Celsius and peak winds up to 240 km/h also required top logistical and physical performance from the 145 people involved in construction. The best example of this was the construction of the top station at almost 4,000 meters above sea level. "A total of 27,000 hours of project work by our technicians went into the 3S system. In addition, the highly specialized team mastered a multitude of challenges, from transport logistics to the prefabrication of the stations in Vipiteno and the work on the mountain, which was characterized by the most difficult weather conditions," says Martin Leitner, Member of the Board of Directors of the LEITNER group of companies.

After almost four decades, a new era in Zermatt has begun with the new 3S gondola lift. “Enormous progress has been made since the first summiters took the aerial tramway up to the Klein Matterhorn in 1979. But one thing remains true: the magical attraction that the Klein Matterhorn exerts on people. Thanks to the "Matterhorn glacier ride", a technical masterpiece by LEITNER ropeways, this magical mountain is easily and quickly accessible for our guests. In addition, the foundation was laid for the planned Alpine Crossing, which will connect the areas of Zermatt (CH) and Cervinia (IT) all year round for hikers," says Markus Hasler, CEO Zermatt Bergbahnen AG. The 3S gondola lift is the first step to realizing a unique Alpine crossing between northern Italy and Zermatt and in the long run the connection of the Zermatt, Cervinia/Valtournenche and Monte Rosa ski resorts.

For Martin Leitner, too, the "Matterhorn glacier ride" is a ropeway system of superlatives in every respect. "The facility is a prestigious project with a worldwide reputation that fills me with great pride. It not only increases the value of our company, but also proves that the seemingly impossible can be made possible!"