In a fairly rare move for a ski area, Méribel has decided to replace a gondola with a chairlift.
The resort is upgrading its elderly Plattières 3 gondola to a high-speed 6-seater chairlift this summer, ready for next season.
The new chair will provide much faster access over towards Les Menuires and without skiers needing to take their skis of.
However the news of the upgrade had not been universally welcomed. Many of the gondolas had quirky paint jobs and from social media reaction it seems a lot of regular skiers were quite fond of the "slow lift."
The 45 cabins from the old gondola, which was installed 36 years ago, were auctioned off for three local charities at €500 a gondola and sold out within minutes.