New Swiss piste tunnels under glacier

The Pierres Pointes run closed in 1999 when the Pillon cable car came into action and access became difficult. The 3km run has a 41° pitch (88%) slope on its upper section.
To bring back the black run, Glacier 3000 is currently working on a tunnel 265 metres long and 2.5 metres wide by which skiers can traverse before starting on the 3km (approx. 2 miles) run down to the valley dropping 1000m of vertical.
Estimated at CHF 2.5 million, the tunnel should be open at start of the 2022-2023 season.
Is this a novelty ski run or is it climate forward thinking for a ski resort in troubling times?
A decade ago the ice lay 15 metres thick. Glacier 3000 director Bernhardt Tschannen recalls how the glacier has gone through tough times:
“Fifteen years ago, we asked ourselves whether we should continue with skiing. And we decided to invest to increase the appeal of our offer.”
“Skiing will continue, with or without a glacier, but we are going through an intensive transition phase, with clarity that does extend beyond 2 to 5 years, during which we have to adapt a lot. We are currently thinking about the 2030 vision; our assumptions are not yet ready to be announced, but we intend to transform or replace structures, not add to them.”
Coverage of this novel ski run comes at a time where glacier resorts are suffering worse than ever from the effects of climate change. Ice is melting at accelerated speeds during a summer of heatwaves and just one glacier resort, Hintertux, remains open for business out of many that usually boast 365-days of skiing. (Read more about glacier closures in the Alps).