Cervino Ski Paradise, More Than 80 Years of History

At Cervino Ski Paradise, the team's commitment to perfection, as well as careful attention to safety and equipment maintenance, make it possible for visitors to have meaningful experiences every day. And these experiences unfold in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Alps, at the foot of the Matterhorn. Twenty-six ski lifts climb to an altitude of 11,348 ft (3459 m) and provide access to 101 runs. With more than 1 million visitors in the winter season alone, over a thousand rescues every year, 425 thousand tickets sold on average every season, 140 employees, 20 maintenance technicians, and a team of 110 dedicated to rescue and slope maintenance — at Cervino, the numbers speak for themselves. 

"This company has been operating mechanical lifts for 85 years," Daniele Herin, Director of Operations at Cervino, explains, "we're among the largest companies in all of Italy, and even Europe, to maintain an operation of this size. Our lift installations reach from 6725 ft (2050 m) in Cervinia, to an altitude of 11,345 ft (3458 m) via the Cime Bianche Laghi-Plateau Rosà aerial tram. Connected by the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing — a lift system completed last year that now links us to Zermatt, we also collaborate closely with our Swiss colleagues."

A short conversation with Daniele is enough to reveal the dedication of someone who truly loves what they do. Because behind a perfectly played score, there's always a passionate and skilled conductor.

Maintenance at Altitude: A Day On the Plateau Rosà Aerial Tram

Leading up to opening day, with deadlines dictated by weather conditions, the resort collaborates with Secours Alpin (Alpine Rescue) to perform maintenance and training with the goal of ensuring the safety of all their equipment. We tagged along with Daniele and his specialized team as they replaced parts on Plateau Rosà, an aerial tram delivering the most scenic views of Cervino Ski Paradise.

"It's a task that's carried out every year to verify that all our equipment is in the best condition possible," explains Daniele. "The operation is scheduled when weather conditions, such as ice, require it, or in response to other priorities such as cable lubrication and inspection."

This includes maintenance and safety exercises that range from routine to extraordinary. "Because one of our top priorities is maximizing safety for our visitors, we carry out evacuation exercises every year with the help of Secours Alpin Valdôtain. In fact, our guys are trained to provide assistance and operate autonomously when needed," Daniele adds. "So we are ready to handle any emergency situation."

Discipline and Organization In Service of Safety

Visiting the evacuation equipment storage room means seeing first-hand all the work carried out by the staff to maximize customer safety.

You enter a tidy warehouse, marked by a row of red and yellow backpacks ready for any intervention by ground and air crews. Inside each backpack you'll find a helmet, headlamp, harness, lanyards — in short, all the personal protection equipment that may be needed. The gear is inspected by operators that have been trained by the Petzl Technical Institute in Turin," Daniele explains. "This place is the heart of our evacuation system for all lifts, from single-cable to double-cable. Our staff are trained to implement rescue operations at any time, in cooperation with the Alps-Aosta Valley Rescue and Civil Protection Service."

Highly trained professionals driven by a passion for the mountains and the work they do, meeting the Cervino Ski Paradise maintenance staff showed us that here, pursuing safety truly is the top priority.