Vallee Blanche Aerial Tramway
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The Vallee Blanche Aerial Tramway is a passenger aerial tramway in the French Alps. It began service in 1958.
The tramway connects Aiguille du Midi and the Col du Géant with each other and runs from the Aiguille du Midi to the Gros Rognon station, whereby it crosses the Vallée Blanche, a rock valley. That stretch is 1,684 metres (1 mile) in length.
Behind the Gros Rognon it crosses the glacier Glacier du Géant and spans a length of 2,831 metres (1.8 miles) without support. Between the rocks of the large and the small Flambeau two 300 metre (975 feet) long steel cables are installed, which take over the role of the cable support. During construction, it was decided to build this unique configuration, because the glacier is unsuitable as the location of high tower construction. From this support the aerial tramway runs to Col de Géant again with a span of 447 metres (1,453 feet).
In August 1961 the Tramway was badly damaged when an aeroplane of the French Air Force tore its hauling cable. Three cars crashed and six people were killed.