L'Alpe d'Huez Reopens After Storm Benjamin

L’Alpe d’Huez (Isère) will begin the 2025-2026 season without the Pic Blanc cable car, which remains out of service due to damage caused by Storm Benjamin, an episode of strong winds and irregular snow accumulation recorded in late October.

The storm caused damage to this essential infrastructure in the Grandes Rousses massif, preventing its operation for the start of the winter season.

The damage necessitates keeping this installation—key for accessing the massif’s 3,330 meters—inactive until repair work and relevant technical verifications are complete.

The resort describes the meteorological event as exceptional, affecting the cabling system and various structural components. Although a firm reopening date is not yet available, management estimates it could be operational again in January, provided work proceeds according to schedule.

Despite the cable car's inactivity, the resort guarantees that high-altitude skiing will remain operational thanks to the Funitel Marmotte 3, which will provide access to the highest available altitudes during the initial stage of the season. Fabrice Boutet, director of Sata, notes that it is not yet possible to determine a definitive timeline for the cable car's reactivation, though he maintains the forecast that repairs will conclude in January, all contingent on the engineers' final report and corresponding load tests.

This incident again highlights the vulnerability of major alpine resorts to severe meteorological events occurring out of season. In this context, L’Alpe d’Huez is strengthening its monitoring systems and reviewing its infrastructure management to adapt to extreme wind events, which are increasingly frequent in autumn months.

The resort plans to issue periodic updates on the progress of cable car repairs and will maintain an information service to guide skiers on available access, hours, and domain conditions during these first weeks of activity.