TL;DR
The Dolomites have added another tri-cable gondola to their lift infrastructure, with Campitello di Fassa's new 3S installation to Col Rodella opening December 19th. The 2,200 people-per-hour system replaces older infrastructure on this key Sellaronda access point, though whether the Italian resort needed Italy's 'most modern ropeway' for what's essentially a commuter lift is another question.
Italian Dolomites Add Another Tri-Cable System
Campitello di Fassa opened a new Doppelmayr 3S gondola to Col Rodella on December 19th, replacing older lift infrastructure on what's effectively a critical commuter route into the Sellaronda circuit. The tri-cable system—which uses two fixed carrying cables and one haul rope—joins a growing list of 3S installations in the European Alps, though this technology remains relatively uncommon globally due to its substantial cost.
The 2,200 people-per-hour capacity represents a significant upgrade for this Sellaronda access point, which has historically been a bottleneck during peak periods. Col Rodella serves as a junction point for the famous four-pass ski circuit, making lift capacity here more about traffic management than resort ambition. Whether Campitello needed what's being marketed as 'Italy's most modern ropeway' for what amounts to a mountain shuttle is debatable, but the Dolomite resorts have never been shy about infrastructure investment.
The installation features 18 cabins initially, expanding to 22, each seating 30 passengers. That's relatively modest cabin numbers for a 3S system—compare this to the Eibsee 3S at Zugspitze with 44 cabins—which suggests the line length and terrain didn't require the maximum configuration. The system includes the expected tri-cable advantages: high wind stability, smooth riding characteristics, and the ability to maintain consistent uphill capacity that detachable quad chairs simply can't match in exposed alpine terrain.
