[Job Story] Potain MDT 219 Cranes Installed by Helicopter to Reconstruct a Cabin Lift on Mont Blanc, in France

Potain tower cranes are constructing a gondola lift at an altitude of nearly 3000 m in the Chamonix Valley, France. The high-altitude site required helicopter support for pylon installation and a detailed logistics plan developed by Potain’s Lift Solutions team.

The Grands Montets gondola was destroyed by fire in 2018. The €150 million project to rebuild the ski area includes the construction of two new lift stations to shuttle skiers and snowboarders between Argentière and Lognan, and then up to the summit of the mountain.

Among the Potain cranes deployed, two MDT 219 J10 topless tower cranes are being used for the reconstruction work. Due to the extreme terrain and limited access at high altitude, a helicopter was required to install both cranes. The MDT 219 J10 models were rented by Mellet Billion Travaux en Montagne (MBTM) from Potain distributor Valente Grue Assistance. The choice relied on Potain models’ high lifting capacity and the modular design that allows crane components to be separated into individual lift weights not exceeding the 2400 kg payload restriction of the helicopter.

The reconstruction of the Grands Montets ski area is guided by corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles, with two key objectives:
• Reducing helicopter transport. To minimize the environmental impact of air transport, the MBTM company installed a blondin (a cable system equipped with a lifting mechanism) that reaches the highest point of the Grands Montets at 3300 m. This system is used to carry materials for pylon and crane assembly without relying exclusively on helicopters.
• Cutting the number of pylons. The new gondola lift, designed to replace the previous one lost in the 2018 fire, will require only half as many pylons. This significantly reduces the visual and ecological footprint of the installation.

MBTM and Valente worked in close coordination with Potain’s Lift Solutions team to optimise every load transported to the site, ensuring that each delivery included exactly the components needed at each installation phase—while staying within the helicopter’s strict payload limit.

Given the altitude and the need for aerial assembly, this was far from a conventional crane operation. The complexity of helicopter-lifted components required careful planning and collaboration between crane rental firm Valente, project manager MBTM, and Potain’s Lift Solutions department. Their joint effort proved essential, adding significant value to both the client and the lifting schedule.

“The Lift Solutions team at Potain provided us with exemplary service. Their comprehensive plan and customer-centric approach to this project ensured we were able to complete the installation as efficiently as possible, even with the extreme nature of this construction site”.

Said Jean-Philippe Valente, CEO of Valente Grue Assistance.

Set to welcome skiers in the 2026/2027 season, the new lift has already gained acclaim, with the project winning Top-Slewing Crane Assembly of the Year at the 2025 Tower Crane Awards.

[Job Story] Potain MDT 219 Cranes Installed by Helicopter to Reconstruct a Cabin Lift on Mont Blanc, in France published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.