From new lifts and runs to snowmaking and terrain park upgrades, summer is a busy time for the ski resorts of Europe!
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The Hochkönig ski area will be fully lift-linked come the 2010/11 season
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As the summer season continues on the glaciers of Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy, resorts which do not operate snowsports in the summer months are making full use of the time by making improvements ahead of the winter season.
In Austria’s Hochkönig ski area, a new cable car running between Hintermoos and Hinterthal will see the area fully lift-linked for the first time this winter, uniting all 150km of slopes in the area where there was previously a break in the circuit.
In Italy, there is also good news for the Super Skirama Dolomiti ski area as the reinstallation of a cable car at Pejo after 25 years means that the Val della Mite piste can re-open, with hopes this will lead to the development of more slopes in the area.
Other resorts implementing new lifts include Paradiski’s Les Arcs, which is adding four chairs and tows, Gstaad, Switzerland, which is adding two lifts including a gondola and Scheffau in the Austrian Skiwelt which is adding an eight-person chairlift.
Meanwhile at Ischgl, the resort has announced it is installing a "designer" lift for the 2010/11 season – a six-seater chairlift which has been designed to be pleasing on the eye, featuring orange-tinted weather bubbles.
New lifts means more accessible terrain and often more snowmaking too with the Skiwelt, Gstaad and Les Arcs all announcing they will be extending their snowmaking networks to ensure continuous snow cover during the 2010/11 season.
Meanwhile Val Thorens and Alpbach are concentrating their energies on both devlopeing and adding terrain parks. Alpbach will open a new Funpark this winter at the top of the Pöglbahn whilst Val Thorens is modifying its existing park, adding more beginner-friendly features.
The Three Valleys resort is increasing its number of pistes for the 2010/11 season too, constructing two new green runs in its free beginner area, a blue run linking to the Grand Fond Funitel and a red run in the PleinSud sector.
Madonna di Campigio, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last winter, is also adding an extra run, a black run called Nube D’Oro which it is hoped will be open for skiing and snowboarding in time for the 2010/11 winter.
(snow24.com)
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