The EUR65 million Alplinks Project to link Zermatt/Cervinia and the Monterosa Ski area has been in development for a long time. We first reported on it in December 2015, and discussions are still underway.
If the proposed 8km 3S cable car did connect the areas then the new connected area would become the third largest ski area in the world.
Meetings in January 2019
In January 2019 the regional council met on the Italian side met to discuss this proposed link between the Monterosa Ski area and Cervinia.
The AostaSera.it website noted that:
‘The goal seems to be to allow a pedestrian to travel from Champoluc to the Klein Matterhorn for a selfie, or even Zermatt for a drink.’
Among the many challenges that will need to be overcome would be to merge the existing Monterosa Ski and Cervinia lift companies.
Opposition from environmental groups
More significant opposition has come from local environmental groups, who do not believe the benefits of the project outweigh the cost on the local flora and fauna.
Although there would be no skiers or runs in the area, they believe the construction of pylons and passing of the cabins would have a significant impact on nature.
Italian businesses in favour
There is a lot of support and regional pride behind the plans, as the Alplinks project would create a huge ski area, allowing the Aosta Valley to outdo the Dolomites.
The town of Ayas has already a referendum on the possible new lift with around 80% of voters in favour.
When the EUR17 million new 8-person gondola linking Champoluc and Crest opened in December 2018, Alex Brunod, the Mayor of Ayas, made his support for the Alplinks project clear:
“This represents the starting point towards the realization of a great dream for our community; this dream is called Alplinks.”
Friends of the Cervinia Valley
In March 2019, the ‘Amici Valle del Cervino’ (Friends of the Cervinia Valley) reiterated their support for the Alplinks project, which they believe will have a large positive impact on tourism in the region:
“We think the Alplinks is a fundamental project for the development of the Aosta Valley”
They are supportive of the proposal to use 3S technology to build the lift and see the advantages of allowing tourists staying in the ski resorts to visit the valley floor easily.
In their view, the environmental effects are minimal with ‘particular attention paid to the project to safeguard the environment and the fauna’. They point out that ‘none of us intends to build eco-monsters or gut the peaks for mass tourism’.
They also note the bonus of replacing the old Gran Sometta lift, which currently is a bottleneck in the Valtourneche-Cervinia link.
Will the lift ever be completed?
Will the Monterosa link to Cervinia – and therefore Zermatt – ever happen? Only time will tell.
It would be nice to be part of one of the largest ski areas in the world, but Zermatt already has a big ski area and the best skiing of that area – for now, we are quite happy with that!
