Study finds Lenk to Crans-Montana cable car feasible but contentious

A proposed 10-kilometre cable car linking Lenk in the Bernese Oberland with Crans-Montana in Valais is technically feasible and could bring economic benefits, but would significantly affect the natural landscape, according to a study reported by SRF.

The panoramic cable car would take about 30 minutes to reach the Plaine-Morte glacier and is planned to operate year-round. The study, commissioned in 2024 by the Cradle association, identified two possible routes. Both would run from Lenk via an intermediate station at Metsch, then cross a transfer station on either Gletscherhorn or Weisshorn before reaching the Plaine-Morte mountain station.

The Gletscherhorn option would avoid the Gälte-Iffigen protected landscape. The Weisshorn route would incorporate a decades-old military cable car, which could be removed in return. No new ski slopes are planned as part of the project.

The study favours a 3S cable-car system, a design described as particularly stable in strong winds and capable of spanning long distances between support towers. Its authors say the connection would be economically significant and generate value across the region, while also affecting the landscape and environment.

Conservation groups have criticised the proposal. Raimund Rodewald, then head of the Swiss Landscape Protection Foundation, questioned the argument that a panoramic cable car would help people appreciate nature, noting in 2024 that the Plaine-Morte glacier was dying. Nature and alpine conservation group Mountain Wilderness also opposes the project. Project leader Aaron Heinzmann told SRF that the cable car would affect a landscape that remains largely undeveloped, and said it must be treated carefully.

The association plans to assess potential natural hazards during construction and operation and identify necessary safety measures. It is also preparing a business plan.