A bit off topic but many of have kids. I’ve just seen that Megeve in the Haute-Savoy has installed the Magnestick on the Petit Rochebrune and Grands Champs chairlifts. These are old style fixed chairs. The system consists of a chair with a magnet installed in the back, children with suitable dorsal protection are then stuck to the back of the chair during travel. If you’ve used chairs with young kids you will know it is a bit of nightmare looking after your own gear and making sure they don’t slide out under the bar. The system has cost Megève 300,000 euros.

The system was developed by Somital which is part of the Three Valleys Lift Company (S3V) which runs the lifts in Courchevel-La Tania and Méribel-Mottaret. You can also find the system at Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel-Mottaret, Val Fréjus, Gourette, Peyragudes and Arcalis.

Has anyone come across this system and what do you think?

at the moment in the 3V’s its all but pointless, there are off the top of my head after a summer away, maybe 3 lifts in Courch’ that have it, and probably a handful of others over the other valleys.

the kids have to have these jackets/vests with the magnetic bit which only works on a few lifts, and if your unfortunate to sit of the seat as an adult its uncomfortable.  It should be on every lift, or not at all.  I see that it is a good idea, abiet, costly, but 3V’s can’t be poor can it??  Atleast on the major lifts that ski schools use, like the odd one in Courch.

those silly little bars that attach on the main chair front bar are much better i think, easier to install and cheaper.

I had the experience last year of a gate malfunction on one of the lifts at Chamrousse (Bachat Bouloud) when skiing with my 4 1/2 year old. My boy got on the chair and I couldn’t and I was very concerned as he is too small to ride a chair on his own. I hit the stop button and a grumpy lifty backed up the chair so I could get on (I got his on the head in the process!). So any ideas to improve safety seems like a good idea. Thanks for the feedback.

If you are a Dragons Den watcher (BBC 2 reality tv business series) then I can see that Peter Jones would be out, Theo would break it but Duncan Bannatyne might invest as he’s got kids as he likes to tell us.