Above Argentière, a village within the commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, the Grands Montets have long been the domain of skiers seeking high alpine terrain without the approach hike. The cable car built in 1963 reached 3275m, beneath the Aiguille Verte. A fire halted it in 2018, and the domain has since been living to the rhythm of a reconstruction project: a first section expected for Christmas 2026, return to the summit in December 2027.
Grands Montets: practical information
- Starting point: Argentière, around 1250m, in the upper Chamonix valley.
- By train: the Saint-Gervais-Vallorcine line (Mont-Blanc Express) connects Chamonix to Argentière in approximately fifteen minutes.
- Lift access: new ten-person Argentière-Lognan cable car expected for Christmas 2026; until then, access to the domain via the Plan Joran cable car.
- Season 2026-2027: opening scheduled for 28 and 29 November 2026, then daily from 5 December 2026 to 2 May 2027, conditions permitting.
- Lift pass: Chamonix Le Pass (Grands Montets, Balme, Brévent-Flégère) or the wider Mont-Blanc Unlimited.
- Pedestrians: in winter, access via Plan Joran is closed to pedestrians and snowshoeing.
From 1963 to 2018: a high alpine domain
The Grands Montets cable car was put into service in 1963; the resort opened in 1964. It departs from Argentière (1252m), stops at Lognan and reaches the Aiguille des Grands Montets at 3275m. Lift infrastructure multiplied rapidly on the mountain, such that for many years one could ski in summer on the neighbouring glaciers, some years extending until September.
More than 2000m of vertical separates the summit from the village. From Plan Joran, the view encompasses the Argentière glacier basin and its séracs, the Drus, the Aiguilles Rouges and Mont-Blanc.
11 September 2018: fire at Lognan
On 11 September 2018, around 13:40, fire broke out in the roof space of the Lognan intermediate station (1972m), following waterproofing works. Around fifty firefighters and helicopters battled the blaze for much of the afternoon. The station restaurant was damaged; under the effect of the heat, two cables gave way and one cabin fell. No one was injured.
Both sections, Argentière-Lognan and Lognan-Grands Montets, closed. Skiing continued on the rest of the domain, accessible via the Plan Joran cable car, but the summit could only be reached by ski touring.
The construction project by Renzo Piano
Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, which operates the domain, chose to rebuild entirely, keeping as close as possible to the original installations. The stations have been designed by Renzo Piano‘s studio, which drew inspiration from a mineral found in the massif, pyrite: a transparent cube that makes full room for the landscape. The project was approved after five years of consultation, including with high-altitude guides.
The first section will be a ten-person cable car between Argentière and Lognan. At Lognan, a single building will house the arrival of this section, the departure of the next, a food and beverage space and a facility for pisteurs and rescue; the tourist office also announces a brasserie, an electric bike rental and public toilets.
The second section will be a detachable 3S cable car with cabins seating 24 people. The stated objective is not to increase capacity but to better withstand wind, and thus to open on more days. The new summit station is built some forty metres below the original one, as permafrost weakened by warming could no longer support a structure at the summit; a tunnel some sixty metres long dug beneath the ridge will save users approximately 200 steps.
The timeline has slipped. The 2024 season and spring 2025, marked by heavy rain, slowed high-altitude works, and the summit crane jib broke on 2 October 2024. The opening to the summit has therefore been postponed by a year, to December 2027.
For which skiers
Compagnie du Mont-Blanc states plainly: access to the summit, in glaciated terrain above 3000m, will remain reserved for experienced skiers. The domain is renowned for its demanding pistes and off-piste, to be undertaken with a guide. In summer, the future cable car will serve mountaineers and walkers, and the closure between the two seasons will be reduced to just a few days.
AEC advice. During winter 2026-2027, the opening order of the lifts may still change: check the status of installations the evening before on the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc website, and keep Plan Joran as a backup access.
Where to stay
Staying in Argentière means having the Grands Montets departure at hand and the station on the Chamonix line, whilst remaining away from the hub’s bustle. Further up the valley, Le Tour and Vallorcine provide access to the Balme domain, included in the same lift pass. AEC Collection selects chalets and apartments in the Chamonix valley, from Argentière to Les Houches.
Until December 2027, each winter brings the return to the summit a little closer: reason enough to book a week at the foot of the Aiguille Verte now, and be among those who will rediscover the complete Grands Montets.
