Believe it or not, summer is a busy time for many ski resorts. Even when the Alps aren't covered in snow, there is plenty to do: lifts, piste bashers, and snow cannons must all be inspected and fixed where necessary, and preparations must be made for the upcoming ski season. Some ski resorts take advantage of the ski pistes being closed to instal new lifts! Here you'll find a quick overview of the major new lifts that will be inaugurated for the 2019/20 ski season.
Ischgl is unveiling two new lifts this winter. The first is the 6-person Velileck F1 chairlift, on the Pardatschgrat. Running at 6 metres per second, this will be the fastest chairlift at the Silvretta Arena Ischgl - Samnaun. The second new lift is the Visnitz N2, an 8-person D-line lift that will open on the Swiss side of the Visnitzkopf.
KitzSki will also reveal a new lift for the start of ski season this year, an upgrade to the old 6-person gondola in Kirchberg. The new 10-person Fleckalmbahn will have a total carrying capacity of 2590 skiers and snowboarders per hour.
The successful completion of the zellamseeXpress will make possible the long-awaited connection between two giants in the Austrian ski scene: the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and Zell am See - Kaprun. Thanks to the final link, the lower part of the zellamseeXpress, it will be possible to reach the Schmittenhöhe from the new base station in Viehhofen. The same base station doubles as a bus stop that will whisk you to the Skicircus. It will also be possible to ski to Viehhofen from the Skicircus, making the connection between the Schmittenhöhe and the Skicircus a reality at last. As of this winter, the newly linked ski area will offer a joint ski pass, the Ski Alpin Card, which gives you the right to ski in both ski areas.
Also in Kaprun, the 2019/20 ski season will see the unveiling of the new 3K K-onnection. This marks the completion of a 2-year project to complete the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier with the lower-lying Maiskogel ski area. This will make it a breeze to get from the centre of Kaprun up to the snow-sure Kitzsteinhorn Glacier without having to get in the car as you did previously.
The first guests tested out the brand-new U-Bahn in Serfaus this July, and the subway will be available to skiers and snowboarders starting in the 2019/20 ski season. The U-Bahn will have 3 stops, the last of which will connect to the slopes via Alpkopfbahn toward Serfaus or the Komperdellbahn to Fiss.
Construction on the new Stuanmandlbahn started in the summer of 2018. Starting in December 2019, the old 4-person chairlift from Gerlos to Zell am Ziller will be replaced by a 10-person gondola. This new gondola will be able to carry 2800 people per hour, double the capacity of the old chairlift.
December 2019 brings more exciting news to the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, with the festive opening of the new Zwölferkogelbahn in Hinterglemm. This new 10-person gondola will transport 3500 skiers and snowboarders per hour.
The SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental is welcoming two new lifts this winter. Brixen im Thale will inaugurate the Zinsbergbahn: part chairlift and part gondola, this is the first lift of its kind in the Austrian ski area. The second lift will be installed above Westendorf. The 8-person Fleidingbahn will reach an altitude of 1892 metres above sea level, where the viewing platform will provide lovely panoramic views.
The Dolomiti Superski mega ski area has invested 100 million euros this year in renovations for its 12 ski resorts. In total, the Dolomiti Superski will open nine new lifts, plus several new pistes and snow cannons. New lifts include the 10-person Freccia Nel Cielo gondola in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the 10-person gondola to replace the Rara chairlift in Kronplatz, replacement lifts for the old 6-person Edelweiss and 2-person La Crusc chairlifts in Alta Badia, a new 6-person chairlift to replace the 4-person Bamby chairlift in Val Gardena, a facelift with new top and bottom stations at the Comic 1 4-person chairlift, the new 8-person Hasenköpfl chairlift in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites, the new 8-person chairlift on the Reiter Joch in Val di Fiemme & Obereggen, and a new 6-person chairlift to replace the 4-person Cigolera chairlift in San Martino di Castrozza / Rollepass.
The new Eggli is a feast for the eyes. This new gondola will replace the old 4-person cable car from 1983, bringing skiers and snowboarders to the summit in Gstaad in just 5 minutes. Unsurprisingly, the Eggli by Porsche offers luxurious comfort as you travel.
The old 2-person chairlift from the Engstlenalp to the Jochpass has served its time well, but it's time for a change. Starting this winter, a new 6-person lift with an hourly capacity of 2000 passengers will drastically reduce wait times in Engelberg.
The Aletsch Arena is killing two old lifts with one stone with the arrival of a new 10-person gondola, which will transport double the previous amount of skiers and snowboarders to the Fiescheralp (2212m). The Aletsch Arena will also unveil a new multifunctional base station, the ÖV-Hub Fiesch, which will combine several forms of transit including the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn train and the Swiss bus.
After an impressive 49 years of service, the Brüggerhorn chairlift in Arosa Lenzerheide will be replaced by a high-speed 6-person chairlift up the eponymous mountain. The new lift boasts bubble chairs, heated seats, and a child safety device, and will cut the journey time down to 5 minutes compared to the previous 12.
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Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
