For our family summer holiday this year we headed to to the French Alps with the aim of embracing the slow pace of mountain life alongside some adrenaline fuelled pursuits. If you think the Alps are a winter destination, think again. There is so much to do in the summer from hiking to mountain biking; kayaking to white water rafting; paragliding to zip wire… and as of 2024 you can add Aérolive to the list!
What is Aérolive?
Aérolive is a gondola (cable car) in the resort of La Plagne which travels from 2739m up to Live 3000 at a height of 3080m. But this is no everyday cable car experience. Aérolive has a semi-open slatted floor, with no glass windows or walls obstructing the view – essentially you are soaring through the mountains, at great height in a gondola with no sides. It’s epic!
Getting ready
We were greeted by the Aérolive team at the Riche de Milo station where we were fully prepped for our experience. There’s a thorough briefing using a static gondola allowing you to prepare for the flight on solid ground. Once kitted up we rehearsed sliding our carabiner into the mechanism which takes a couple of attempts. The Aérolive team then spent some time answering any questions we had before giving the thumbs up that we were good to go.
The Experience
Surprisingly, the trickiest part of Aérolive is boarding. Once you’re on with carabiners and safety systems in place it takes a minute to accept to the fact that you’re floating across the Alps in a gondola with no sides. Now the fun starts. It’s utterly incredible to feel so close to the mountains. We spotted marmottes running below us, we could hear the alpine cows bells jingling, the wind felt fresher than ever before – we were all buzzing.
Half way into the journey the gondola goes through a ski station – for anyone who is really struggling with the ride there’s the option to disembark here. We, on the other hand, were keen for more. As our confidence grew we tried leaning out, dangling limbs over the edge and soaring like a bird. All of us of all ages loving every second of the ride.
A short 17 minutes later and the journey comes to an end. We all had smiles spread right across our faces. That was pretty special, but there’s more to come. Stepping out of the gondola station you are treated to views across stunning glacial lakes and rolling landscapes towards Mont Blanc. Just wow.
What you need to know
Price – €49 per person
Minimum height – 1.40m
Capacity – 6 people, if your party is smaller than this you may be sharing the ride with others
Timings – The whole experience should take around 30-45minutes. The gondola ride takes 17 minutes
Tips – Booking in advance is required. Make sure you bring a cable for your phone. wear warm clothes – it’s cold at that height and the wind can be strong.
Recommend? Yes!
For booking information and more details please visit Aérolive here.
