11.09.2026

PistenBully crane

The Kronplatz ski resort in South Tyrol, Italy has taken delivery of a custom-built PM 18 SP articulated loader crane with a Ferarri work platform attachment, mounted on a Kässbohrer PistenBully chassis, to service tower mounted snow cannons and to carry out tree work at altitudes of up to 2,300 metres.

The resort, run by Olanger Seilbahnen/Funivie di Valdaora, covers more than 100km of slopes and has around 150 snow cannons, many of them installed on fixed towers several metres high. Until now, technicians have used ladders to carry out repairs in temperatures often below -20°C with wind gusts of up to 90 kph.

PM loader crane dealer, Frei & Co supplied and installed the crane, working with an Austrian specialist to develop a superstructure tilt system that levels the machine on uneven and sloping ground. Frei also added the larger PM 23 slewing gear to the PM 18 to improve control when working on slopes.

The build, from developing a subframe and tilt system to selecting the stabiliser mounting and obtaining certification, took more than a year from order to delivery, although final assembly at Kronplatz took just three hours. The machine has already completed its first winter season, when it was also used to work on structures alongside the pistes, ski cross containers and timing camera systems.

Funivie di Valdaora technical manager Andreas Del Frari said: “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.”

"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."

Hannes Frei of Frei & Co. added: "We developed a reinforced slewing configuration with 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 when working on the steepest slopes."