Plan de Corones, internationally known as Kronplatz, is one of South Tyrol’s premier ski resorts: over 2,270 meters above sea level, more than 100 kilometers of slopes, and a service standard built around excellence. The company managing the lifts and ski slopes, Olanger Seilbahnen AG / Funivie di Valdaora SpA, applies the same philosophy to its internal maintenance operations.
The challenge, however, was a very real one: how do you safely bring technicians up to fixed snow cannons — mounted on towers several meters high — to carry out inspections and repairs during the winter season, in temperatures regularly dropping below -20°C and wind gusts reaching 80–90 km/h?
The answer came in the form of a truly unique machine: a Tadano PM 18 SP mounted on a PistenBully snow groomer, equipped with a custom-developed tilt system. The project brought together three companies — Funivie di Valdaora, Frei & Co., and Tadano — and took more than a year to develop and implement.
Safety First
Managing a ski resort of this scale — around 140–150 snow cannons, many installed on fixed towers — makes winter maintenance a complex operation. For years, the standard procedure involved technicians climbing with ladders and harnesses: an effective solution, but one that exposed personnel to significant risks, especially under extreme weather conditions.
Andreas Del Frari, Technical Manager at Funivie di Valdaora, explains the reasoning behind the investment: “As a premium ski resort, we want to be premium in terms of safety as well. It was no longer enough for our people to simply be trained and instructed — we wanted to eliminate the risk at its source. With the crane basket, the technician reaches the work area directly and safely, without having to climb around the snow cannon.”
Safety, however, was not the only driver. At nearly 2,300 meters above sea level, winter breakdowns cannot wait: external cranes cannot be rented at short notice, and no truck can operate on snow-covered slopes. Having a tracked vehicle equipped with a crane means achieving the same operational flexibility available in summer with a service truck — but under conditions no truck could ever handle.
The new vehicle also gives the resort greater independence during the winter season. “If a snow cannon breaks down, or machinery needs repositioning, I cannot call an external company. From November to April, the slopes are ours and we need to be self-sufficient. With this vehicle, we truly are,” explains Andreas Del Frari.
Three Years of Testing — Then the Right Choice
The idea did not emerge overnight. For three seasons, Funivie di Valdaora tested a similar solution using a rented snow groomer equipped with a smaller crane. It proved to be a valuable testing ground, but also highlighted clear limitations: no tilt system, suboptimal weight distribution, and insufficient crane capacity.
The experience also highlighted the importance of the tilt system, as Del Frari explains: “Without the tilt system, we had to position ourselves perfectly beneath the work area — on snow, often on steep slopes. With lateral tilt, we can now work safely even when the terrain is uneven. It makes a huge difference.”
A Fully Customized Installation
This is where Frei & Co. entered the picture. As Tadano knuckle boom cranes dealer for Trentino-Alto Adige, the third-generation family-run company specializes in custom industrial installations. Having partnered with Tadano for the past two years, Frei selected the PM series for its build quality, product range, and — critically — the efficiency of its after-sales support.
For Hannes Frei of Frei & Co., the close cooperation with Tadano was an important part of the project. “With the Tadano team in Modena, we always know who to talk to. If there is a technical issue, a question, or an urgent requirement, there is always a short and direct line of communication. Spare parts arrive within one or two days. For us, as a service provider, that represents 70% of the value in choosing a partner,” he explains.
The PM 18 SP was selected according to the customer’s requirements: lifting capacity, outreach, and basket performance. But one additional specification proved decisive: the machine needed to operate frequently on steep terrain. On the previous setup, the crane tended to drift sideways under load.
Frei explains how this challenge was addressed: “That’s why we developed a reinforced slewing configuration: we installed the PM 23 slewing gear on the PM 18. It is not a standard setup, but it was exactly what was needed to guarantee full control even on the steepest slopes.”
For the tilt system, Frei & Co. collaborated with an Austrian partner already experienced in this type of installation, having previously delivered five or six similar machines using other crane brands. The integration with the PM 18 SP, however, was developed entirely from scratch.
The project required more than a year from order confirmation to delivery: crane, subframe, tilt system, stabilizers, certification approvals. Final assembly at Kronplatz took only two to three hours on site at altitude.
Delivered to Kronplatz in December, the PM 18 SP mounted on the PistenBully has already completed its first winter operations. Tower-mounted snow cannons are now serviced using the crane; the radio remote control ensures precise movements; and the work basket allows technicians to operate comfortably and safely.
But the crane’s applications are already expanding further. From ski entertainment structures along the slopes — castles, dragons, and timing camera systems — to ski cross containers and even the bell that rings every day at noon. Not to mention the snow farm, the covered snow storage facility used to preserve snow for seasonal reopening: all situations where the crane has already proven its value or soon will.
Further confirmation of this vision comes from the fact that other ski resorts are already considering similar solutions. A clear sign that the market is evolving — and that the experience developed at Kronplatz is becoming a benchmark for the industry.
Frei expects the experience gained at Kronplatz to be useful for future projects as well: “This will not be the last installation of its kind. We are already in discussions with other ski resorts. Every project teaches us something, and this one has given us expertise that will make the next even faster and more efficient.”
Quality, Safety, Efficiency — Tadano Values in Action
The Kronplatz project illustrates the values guiding Tadano’s daily work: compliance with the highest safety standards, unwavering focus on protecting people, build quality capable of withstanding the harshest conditions, and operational efficiency that helps customers perform winter maintenance safely and efficiently.
A project born from a practical need, developed through the collaboration of three specialized partners — a leading ski resort, a dealer with decades of expertise, and a manufacturer committed to quality in every machine — has now resulted in a highly specialized solution tailored to the demanding conditions at Kronplatz.
