Verbier’s historic Savoleyres gondola made its final run Aug. 30, ending more than 55 years of service at the Swiss ski resort. The lift is being replaced by a new system combining gondola cabins and chairlift seats, with the full connection scheduled to open this winter.
Built by Swiss manufacturer Giovanola and opened in 1970, the gondola was recognizable for its silver, hexagonal cabins and bright orange numbering. It carried approximately 16 million passengers during its 56-year operating history, according to SWI.
Operator Televerbier marked the retirement with a farewell celebration at Savoleyres. The day’s program included raclette, live music, tours of the installation and a final descent. Visitors were also invited to record their memories in a guest book housed inside one of the old cabins.
The retirement reflects more than the lift’s age. SWI reported that some components, including the grip connecting the cabins to the cable, no longer met current safety standards. Former Televerbier technical manager Raymond Casanova also cited the cabins’ shape as a reason they were particularly susceptible to wind.
A New Lift Combining Gondolas and Chairs
The replacement, the Esserts-Savoleyres Telemixte, is a Doppelmayr/Garaventa system that will operate 10-passenger gondola cabins and six-passenger chairs on its upper section. The design gives passengers a choice between an enclosed cabin and a chairlift ride with their skis still attached.
Gondola cabins will travel from Les Esserts through the intermediate station at Les Planards to Savoleyres. Chairs will operate only between Les Planards and the summit. Ground-level cabin boarding is designed to improve access for passengers with limited mobility, while the installation will also accommodate pedestrians and summer cyclists.
The project replaces both the old Savoleyres gondola and the Sud surface lift. It also includes a new ski trail between Le Carrefour and the departure station at Les Esserts, creating a direct skiable connection from the Les Ruinettes sector. Televerbier says the goal is to make travel between Verbier and Savoleyres-La Tzoumaz easier and improve how skiers move around the mountain.
The upper Planards-Savoleyres section opened in December 2025. According to Televerbier’s construction updates, crews completed cable pulling and splicing on the lower section in August, with the full Esserts-Savoleyres connection scheduled to open for the 2026-27 winter season.
