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European Resort Newswire Hot News from the European Resorts
Davos and Klosters Reposition Pischa as a Freeride HeavenDavos, Switzerland (Snow24) – From next winter (2006/07), Pischa will become one of Switzerland’s largest freeride regions. By repositioning Pischa as a trail-free mecca, the neighboring and lift-linked resorts of Davos and Klosters are aiming to cater to fans of the fast-growing trend of freeriding. The resorts hope that the new initiative will attract a new market segment and give Pischa a fresh chance to establish itself as a key element of the Davos/Klosters Mountains. Along with freeriding, Pischa will also offer the chance to try out other trend sports and specialized snow-sports gear which can be carried on the aerial cableway. Guidance will be offered on using the sports gear and improving skills in cooperation with specialists in the various sports. The Avalanche Training Center program for avalanche dogs and mountain guides, SAC and Youth & Sport will also form an integral part of the services on offer. At present, the Pischa ski region consists of one aerial cableway and four ski lifts. In winter 2006/07, the aerial cableway and two of the present ski lifts (Mitteltäli I and Flüelamäder) will resume operations. Three trails will be marked and made safe from Alpine dangers but remain unprepared. Another two trails will be prepared and the racing trail will still be available for training and ski races. The existing winter-walking path, Fun Park, and Kinderland will also remain as guest attractions. Saas Fee and Zermatt Offer Partial Joint Lift Ticket Next SeasonSaas Fee, Switzerland (Snow24) – The leading Swiss resorts of Saas Fee and Zermatt will offer their skiers the opportunity to ski on each other’s slopes when a lift ticket valid for six days or more is purchased. The neighboring ski areas, both beautiful, picturesque, car-free resorts in stunning Alpine scenery, each with extensive high altitude ski areas and summer glacier skiing, will offer a day’s skiing on the other’s slope for passes valid between six and 21 days. Any Saas Fee skiers wishing to take advantage of Zermatt’s cross-border ski link to Cervinia can do so by paying a small supplement of around d 13% of the value of a day pass. Unique Chance for Young European Skiers to Win Sponsorship from The North FaceVal Thorens, France (Snow24) – Leading specialized outdoor clothing and equipment manufacturer The North Face, is launching a competition to find talented young skiers and help them kick-start their ski career. The North Face Prodigy Ski Challenge will be held in Val Thorens, France from December 16th to 18th this year, during the 10th Boarder Week. Val Thorens, in the heart of the famous Trois Vallées, is the highest ski resort in Europe, with unmatched capacities to welcome events and crowds. The event will be run over three days and sixty young riders from all over Europe who have qualified will be invited to attend. Two winners from three age categories (12-13, 14-15 and 16-17) will win a prestigious two-year sponsorship contract with The North Face. The winners from each age category will also be invited to stay in Val Thorens until December 23rd to participate in their first ever pro competition, also taking place during the Val Thorens Boarder Week. To enter, riders must send in a four-minute video of themselves skiing in different conditions such as park, powder, groomed slopes and jumps. Aurelien Ducroz, Freeride, Vice Champion on the ISFA Freeride World Tour
comments: “I started skiing from a young age but didn’t get into freeride until I “Skiing has everything rolled into one - the challenge, the buzz, the achievements, the passion and friendships, all this while I’m living the dream and able to follow my passion,” said Jason Shutt, the UK’s leading freeride skier. Keith Byrne, Sales and Marketing Manager for The North Face, said: “The North Face Prodigy Ski Challenge is a great chance for young skiers to get the exposure and attention that they deserve, and win a cracking contract at the end of it.” Potential entrants should log on to www.prodigyskichallenge.com and send their applications to the contest’s email address: prodigyskichallenge@yahoo.fr. All the information needed is posted on the website, including more details about the event and how to apply. World Alpine and Snow Business Congress this SpringGeneva, Switzerland (Snow24) – The organizers of the first World Alpine and Snow Business Congress, which is to be staged in Geneva this spring, have put together an unrivalled list of the planet’s leading movers and shakers in the international ski industry to make presentations through the three day event. The World Alpine and Snow Business Congress will be staged from June 12th – 14th at the Intercontinental Hotel, close to the Geneva Airport in Switzerland. Aiming to be the definitive strategic conference in the ski and snow business industry, the congress is focused on the key business drivers of the global ski and snow business sector. In scope, coverage, and experience it is the only event of its kind in the world. “By bringing together leaders from multiple categories, markets, and disciplines, the World Alpine & Snow Business Congress will generate unique insights not usually available to one industry or discipline. This is extremely valuable in a convergent, idea-hungry world. It is an interactive experience with keynotes, panels, meetings, roundtables and workshops. It will also be a lot of fun,” said Helen Burden, Marketing Manager for Terrapinn Limited, a London based business media company that is organizing the event. The long list of well-known speakers include Eric Guilpart, Executive Vice President of Compagnie des Alpes; Lorne Bassel, Executive Vice President, Northeast and Europe for Intrawest; Chip Carey, Senior Vice President, American Skiing Company; Paul Matthews, President of Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners; Patrick Cao Yue, President of China’s leading resort of Yabuli Ski Resort; Ted Beeler, President of the SE Group; Auden Schendler, Director of Environmen “The global ski industry is experiencing tremendous change. New challenges and new opportunities abound in an industry that is at the same time growing rapidly in certain sectors and becoming increasingly competitive globally. The World Alpine & Snow Business Congress is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the business of the future. The event brings together all major sectors in the industry,” concluded Helen Burden. Saas Fee Offers Year-round Snow ParksSaas-Fee, Switzerland (Snow24) – Saas-Fee is bidding to re-establish itself as a mecca of the freestyle scene. Snowboarders and freeskiers alike can let off steam and enjoy themselves in three snow parks the resort now offers 365 days a year. Saas-Fee is one of the pioneering locations when it comes to building snow parks and has claims to have been home to the first super-pipe in the snow-sport region of Allalin. The building of the current Allalin park involved consideration of the latest design know-how and technical innovations. With the help and advice of top boarders, a concept for the park’s construction was developed resulting in the year-round park. The main park is located in the Morenia area where the rails are now higher and the jumps are deeper than ever before. Features include seven and ten meter kickers, a snowbox, and about ten funboxes. The three member Shaper Team prepares and maintains the snowpark every evening. The various amenities in the snow park are well complemented by a chill-out zone and a new snow-bar. There is also a small beginner’s park located near the village ski lifts in Stafelwald which offers the use of various snow-toys. This park offers beginners and children an ideal introduction to freestyling with its various rails and rollers. For snow-sport schools this beginner’s park is the chance to offer tuition in a more fun and entertainment oriented way. If all this is still not enough, there are two further kickers with a flat of ten and six meters respectively, as well as a boardercross waiting to be used. Ski & Golf World Championships in AustriaZell am See, Austria (Snow24) – The annual Ski & Golf World Championships will be staged from May 17th to 21st in the Europa-Sportregion/Zell am See-Kaprun in Austria. A good handicap or a superb technique in giant slalom alone is not sufficient here, for this special challenge the participants need both. The event starts in Zell Stadtplatz at 6 p.m. on May 17th May. After the official opening ceremony the competitor’s numbers for the skiing competition are to be distributed. Kitzsteinhorn, still covered in snow, is the venue for this competition the next day. Then the contest moves on to the championships courses in the midst of the Alps. Only players whose handicap is at least -18 and who are members of a regular golf club are admitted to the two 18-hole courses in the area. Football star Andreas Herzog and Austria’s Olympic champions Michaela Dorfmeister and Felix Gottwald will be taking part along with a strong field of sporting amateurs. Kitzbühel adds Russian, Arabic, and Spanish Languages to its WebsiteKitzbühel, Austria (Snow24) – Leading Austrian resort Kitzbühel has responded to increased tourism from Arabic, Russian, Eastern European, Japanese, and Spanish visitors by adding more language translations to its website. “In view of the importance of high-quality information and customer orientation, Kitzbühel Tourism has launched new websites to enhance communications and awareness building in these markets,” said a resort spokeswoman. The sites are clearly structured with illustrations, online booking features, the latest weather reports and newsletter subscription, all tailored to the users’ cultural preferences. In particular, the Kitzbühel Tourism team has focused on cultural differences in their e-marketing. The website is also designed to be a good source of information for travel intermediaries wishing to promote and facilitate cooperation across national and cultural borders. The sites are designed to open up new market opportunities and business relationships. St. Moritz Celebrates 150 Years of HospitalitySt. Moritz, Switzerland (Snow24) – This year marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first hotel in St. Moritz, the world famous Kulm Hotel, later re-named the Engadiner Kulm. The hotel not only opened in 1856, but is also located exactly 1,856 meters (6,032 feet) above sea level. The Kulm is widely regarded as being the world’s first mountain hotel to open for winter guests, following the famous wager made by its pioneering proprietor, Johannes Badrutt eight years later in 1864. He bet a free stay to visiting summer guests from Great Britain that they would enjoy a winter stay in the mountains and that it would not be the nightmare experience of constant cold and blizzards, very damaging to the health, which was then the popular belief. The Brits took up the wager and the rest is history. Having started the world’s winter sports industry which now extends to more than 5,000 ski centers in 80 countries attracting more than 50 million guests annually worldwide, the Kulm did not rest on its laurels. Instead the hotel sought to drive up quality standards in Swiss tourism and, 14 years after the first winter guests arrived, introduced the first electric lighting in the country in 1878. The first curling tournaments in Europe were organized here in 1880 and the first European figure skating championships in 1882. The very first Alpine winter sports also took place in St. Moritz after the Cresta Run was inaugurated in 1885 - these were the initial skeleton races. Verbier joins Andermatt in Covering its GlacierVerbier, Switzerland (Snow24) – The Reuters news agency has reported that Verbier joined fellow Swiss resort Andermatt last year in deciding to cover up its glacier to try to slow the accelerating melt of the ice sheet. The Tortin glacier above the resort formerly stretched to the base of the lifts but since the turn of the century the resort has had to use heavy machinery to gap fill holes that have appeared as the glacier has melted away. The resort also decided to stop offering summer skiing to guests. The lift company decided to try covering the glacier after an employee noticed that snow had survived through the summer under a tarpaulin thrown over a snowmobile. Last summer the resort covered a little over 25,000 square feet of glacier. The project was so successful that this summer they plan to cover about 100,000 square feet. Safe Snow Levels in Europe to Rise More than 1,000 Vertical Meters by 2080Europe (Snow24) – A new detailed report on the effects of global warming in Europe has predicted that reliable snow cover in winter in the Alps will rise more than 1,000 vertical meters (3,250 feet) from the current 400 meters (1,300 feet) to between a best case scenario of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) and a worse case of 1,750 meters (5,740 feet). 1,700 of Europe’s 4,000 ski areas have a top lift height below 1,750 meters (5,699 feet), only 65 resorts are above 1,750 meters. The findings of the international study by 16 European research institutes, including Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact Research and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, has been published in the journal Science. They project dramatic temperature rises of between two and four degrees Celcius by 2080. The results of climate change are likely to include more flooding in vulnerable areas and probably more precipitation in the north of the continent. Andorra's Vallnord adds LiftsVallnord, Andorra (Snow24) – Andorra’s Vallnord area, which includes now merged Pal - Arinsal and unlinked La Massana, is adding a six-seat chair and a high-speed quad at Arinsal. The six-seater replaces the Les Fonts chair and the quad upgrades the La Tossa tow. Snowmaking will be expanded at Pal with 14 new guns. Arinsal’s beginner’s area will be reorganized and expanded by 50 per cent and there’s a large new baby center at Pal. In La Massana, a new 600 space indoor car park will open by the exit of the gondola in the resort center. Boot Free Skiing for Toddlers in Austria's SkiweltScheffau, Austria (Snow24) – The Children’s Kaiserland above Scheffau in Austria’s SkiWelt has created a special beginners slope for children aged from two using a special new ski binding that does not require ski boots. Special classes for skiing toddlers are offered with Penguin Bobo for 45 minutes daily between 12:05 and 12:50 pm. There will be a maximum of three children per instructor. A ride with the cable car, Children’s Kaiserland Ski, tubing, kite flying, ski carousel, mini-lift, kiddie express, magic flying carpet, leprechaun train, and castle lift are free of charge at the Children’s Kaiserland for all children up to the age of six. The kid’s ski haunted house ride through the Fairytale Forest is particularly exciting. And, because the Children’s Kaiserland is situated at a snow-safe 1,650 meter (5,363 feet), parents or grandparents who wish to watch their offspring take skiing lessons can be with them directly on site with the new “Mountain and Valley Ticket.” Skiing parents and grandparents can also opt to complete a 30-mintue “style check” in the meantime, during which the professionals of the Scheffau Skiing School provide the best tips and tricks for “stylish” skiing fun. New Gondola for Les MenuiresLes Menuires, France (Snow24) – The Sevabel lift company at Les Menuires in the French Three Valleys is completing construction of a new gondola “Le Roc des 3 marches.” This new lift replaces the “Les Combes” chair and the old “Mont de la Chambre” gondola, increasing capacity on the route to 3,200 skiers per hour and carrying skiers and boarders more quickly and efficiently between 1,800 meters (5,580 feet) and 2,296 meters (7,462 feet). There are also new snowmaking machines on the Grand Lac trail this winter following on from the installation of the Les Granges chairlift in 2004. Finally skiers and boarders in Les Meuires will benefit from the new hands-free skipass in the Three Valleys. The new tickets incorporate a high performance micro-chip which will read at a distance the new skipass in your pocket. The Three Valleys Reach ParisThe famous Galeries Lafayette store in Paris will be home to the French Three Valleys ski area, the world’s largest, from November 1st through to February 28th. The ski resorts of the Three Valleys have created an authentic Savoy village at Galeries Lafayette. From the entrance in the escalator area, real ski lifts will welcome visitors who will be able to observe typical chalet interiors with their chimneys and wood furniture, and taste traditional dishes. Every Thursday in November, ski instructors from the area’s ski schools will turn into models to showcase the latest fashion in ski and outdoor sportswear. They will also give advice customers and introduce the 2005/2006 ski gear collections. For the first time ever, customers at Lafayette Sport will be able to discover digital three dimensional ski trails and take a virtual ride from Courchevel to Meribel and from Val Thorens to Les Menuires. Those who already know the area will have fun recognizing what they once experienced, others, each at his own level, can “virtually” try out the largest ski domain in the world. Galeries Lafayette’s clients will also be able to make online reservations in every single ski resort in the Three Valleys ski domain. Andorran Ski Area Heads For French BorderGrandvalira, Andorra (Snow24) – Grandvalira, the largest Andorran ski area made up of the resorts of Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, El Tarter, and various other villages is adding another high-speed six-seat detachable chair above Pas de la Casa. This accesses two new runs on the French side of the area. A second chair, this time a quad, replaces two surface tows in the Grau Roig beginner’s area. There are also new magic carpet lifts at El Tarter and Canillo. The area is also adding more snowmaking, a new restaurant, and online lift ticket purchase for its ever more expensive lift passes. Formula One Boss Buys Swiss GlacierLes Diablerets, Switzerland (Snow24) – Bernie Ecclestone, the man who runs Formula One racing, is reported to have paid $3.8 million to buy the Glacier 3000 ski area above Les Diablerets, near Gstaad. Glacier 3000, formerly open year-round, spent heavily on impressive upgrades in 1999/2000, replacing three elderly cable cars with two new state of the art lifts accessing the glacier and building a stunning gourmet mountain restaurant. However, the area subsequently ran into financial difficulties. Following the improvements the resort lost its single legendary black run and saw a reduction of five kilometers (three miles) in total skiable terrain down to 55 kilometers (34 miles). Terrain percentages changed from 51 percent easy, 41 percent more difficult, 8 percent expert to 58 percent easy, 42 percent more difficult with 0 percent expert. On the other hand, the new lifts have increased uplift capacity by more than a quarter from 16,200 skiers per hour to 22,000. It is now open for skiing from October to July each year Ecclestone’s investment is reportedly being shared with two other investors and intends to double visitor numbers from the current 120,000 per year. Val d’Isère Opens New Access to SlopesVal d’Isère, France (Snow24) – Thirty-three years after the opening of the Iseran sector, Val d’Isère now boasts another brand new access to the slopes from an area which had never before been equipped with a lift. A new detachable six-seater chair, the Laisinant Express, will be inaugurated in December 2005. This chair lift will take on some of the central Solaise Express traffic. Skiers staying in the Laisinant area can use this lift to get to the Fornet and Solaise sectors. After skiing the fabulous L or Mattis runs there will no longer be a need to take the free shuttle to get back to the slopes. The environmental impact of the new lift was taken into account. The commune of Val d’Isère signed an agreement with the National Alpine Botanic Conservator to make an inventory of all protected species and to ensure their replanting if necessary. The agreement signed between the local STVI lift company and the Vanoise National Park makes provision for the counting of royal eagles and black grouse nesting within proximity of the lift over the next seven years. Lionel Richie to Open Ischgl's Ski SeasonIschgl, Austria (Snow24) – Lionel Richie will launch the 2005-2006 ski season in Ischgl, Austria in spectacular style with an open air concert at nightfall on Saturday, November 26th. The concert will set the scene for a five-month long winter season of excellent skiing and partying in Ischgl, which is at the heart of the Paznaun region in the Austrian Tirol and has carved out a reputation as one of the coolest ski resorts in the Alps. Tourist Director Andreas Steibl said: “This announcement is fantastic news. Lionel Richie is very popular and his concert is a great endorsement of Ischgl’s own popularity. We are confident he will perform a most memorable concert to start the new season in the traditional style of Ischgl.” The village now has a firm place on the international concert circuit following more than a decade of rock concerts which bookend the ski season. Last season was launched by The Corrs and concluded by Alanis Morissette; other stars who have performed include Ronan Keating, Enrique Iglesias, Elton John, Tina Turner, Peter Gabriel, Sting, and Rod Stewart. Lionel Richie has sold almost 100 million albums worldwide and had 22 top ten hits, including All Night Long, Hello, Truly, Endless Love and Easy like Sunday Morning. The concert will be in the village centre and entry is free. Swiss Resorts Offer Free Skiing for Children up to Age NineSwitzerland (Snow24) – About a dozen Swiss ski areas are offering free lift tickets to children aged eight or younger next winter. The resorts include Les Diablerets, Glacier 3000, Villars-Gryon, Leysin, and resorts in the Gstaad Ski Region including Chateau d’Oex. To qualify for the discount an identity card proving the child’s age must be provided. The purchase of an electronic Keycard lift ticket is also obligatory. For older children, a specially discounted “family” price applies to all children aged from nine to sixteen, skiing with one of his/her relatives. Other discounts are available for students up to age 25 on presentation of a valid student card showing age. Two Fast New Chairs for CortinaCortina, Italy (Snow24) – Italy’s Cortina d,Ampezzo will install two new high speed chairlifts for the coming winter. A new high speed detachable quad, “Padeon,” will replace a double chair. The new lift has a capacity of 2,160 skiers per hour. Two other old chair lifts, “Col Taron” and “Piè Merlo,” will be replaced by a high-speed detachable six-seater, the “Roncato Festis” or “Tofana Express.” It has a capacity of 2,200 skiers per hour. New Mountain Restaurant for Saas FeeSaas-Fee, Switzerland (Snow24) - A big new mountain restaurant, the Morenia, will open this autumn at Saas Fee in Switzerland, ahead of the coming winter season.Located at 2,550 meters (8,288 feet), next to the Alpin Express funicular and the ski slopes and snowpark, it has room for up to 1000 people. The Morenia will have nearly 900 seats (390 inside, 500 on the terrace) and will open in October. It has a free flow self-service concept for ordering and serving food and drinks. Tignes Opens October 1stTignes, France (Snow24) - Tignes in France will open for the season on Saturday, October first. The resort’s season is scheduled to last for seven months to May 1st, 2006, after which there will be summer skiing on the glacier at certain times. The Espace Killy link with Val d’Isere opens on November 26th. This winter it is Tignes les Brévières, at 1,550 meters (5,038 feet), one of the resort’s five bases which will benefit from new facilities the link from Le Val Claret to Les Brévières will be improved by the addition of 50 snowmakers. New lodging this winter includes La Ferme du Val Claret, a four star holiday residence built by MGM just a stone’s throw from the funicular in Tignes Val Claret, at the foot of the Grande Motte. It contains 50 comfortable and fully equipped top-of-the-range apartments, each with a spacious living area. Extreme Weather Cuts off Swiss Ski Resort of EngelbergEngelberg, (Snow24) – Swiss ski resort Engelberg has been cut off from the outside world for over a week following torrential rain on August 22nd and 23rd The central Swiss resort has been severely damaged by flooding and cut in two by the raging waters of the River Aa. The railway station and surrounding parts of the village were submerged. The main road leading into and out of town was completely washed away, leaving the resort with no way in or out. At present an “air link” established by the Swiss Military is employing helicopters to transport local residents and vacation guests out of the disaster area. At the same time commuters, part-time residents and emergency helpers are being transported back up to Engelberg. At present an emergency access road is being built. According to current information from official sources, Engelberg will once again be accessible to residents and vacation guests via the emergency access road as of Saturday, September 10th. A resort spokesman said, “We are positive that our programs and events for tourists will once more be running according to plan by then. Many shops, businesses, restaurants, cable cars and hotels-despite serious damage experienced in other parts of the town-have remained unscathed and prepared for business as usual As the coming weeks and months undoubtedly provide us with more challenges for the coming season we remain optimistic: yes, we can do it!” New at IschglIschgl, Austria (Snow24) – Top Austrian resort Ischgl will replace the base station for the Silvretta Seilbahn lift in the village this winter. The new building will include shops and VIP meeting rooms, the latter will act as a press gallery for open air concerts. The resort will also complete the redevelopment of the Pardatschgrat restaurant on the mountain, adding a full service restaurant and meeting rooms Improvements at VerbierVerbier, Switzerland (Snow24) – New facilities at Verbier next winter will include a new kids club in La Chaux. A new restaurant is currently under construction in La Combe which will have 80 seats inside and a further 80 seats on the terrace with table service. Skiers will find the old chairlift Novelli (lift number 63) has been upgraded to a modern quad whilst at Veysonnaz the old gondola to Thyon (lift number 11) will be replaced by a much more comfortable, modern, high speed gondola. Finally, those who just wish to grab a few hours on the slopes at the start of the day will benefit from the introduction of a new morning-only ski ticket. The resort has also announced plans to build a new underground car park next summer, and that in two years time work will begin on several major new accommodation projects which should ease peak season problems with bed availability. New Lifts at Kitzbühel In addition, the eight-passenger gondola Panoramabahn Kitzbüheler Alpen from Mittersill/Hollersbach will open up a new access from the Pinzgau (province of Salzburg) to the larger Kitzbühel ski area. Last season the resort's revolutionary new tri-cable gondola 3-S received worldwide attention. It dramatically improved the area's Ski Safari making the Kitzbühel Ski Circuit skiable from both directions and thus turned it into one of the largest ski areas in the Alps. Nitro Team on Saas Fee’s Glacier The camps are organized at one of the best funparks in Europe, incorporating the latest technology and designs plus perfect pipes including a superpipe, big player, big fun-park, rails, obstacles and boardercross. The camps also include top coaching, video-analysis, five day lift ticket, six nights on half-board accommodation in a three stars hotel, two parties and tips and tricks from the stars. Other summer attractions at Saas-Fee include mountain biking, skating, soccer and tennis courts, volleyball, basketball, and nine-hole golf course. Big Events in Davos this Winter Held for the first time in 1999, the O'Neill SB JAM Davos has rapidly become the end of year event on the freestyle snowboarding scene. The qualifying heats are open to all-comers and up and coming Swiss and European boarders get the chance to test their snow skills side by side with the boarding best at the Grand Show Finale on December 31. In March 2006, the Swiss sporting elite will gather in Davos for another spectacular night of show, stars and awards, an event initiated by Silvano Beltrametti. The La Nuit Blanche shines the spotlight on sport and the love of sport. Athletes will be in top technical form at the end of the season - the perfect time to thrill an enthusiastic audience with their stunning skills. Top skiers and telemarkers will duel it out while ski acrobats will soar in style and freeskiers and freestyle snowboarders will also perform to the highest standards. Finally, from March 18th to 20th, Davos will again be the scenic setting for the Parsenn Derby, Switzerland's oldest, most tradition-rich skiing event for all-comers. Well-known sports stars will take part, naturally doing their best to get their teams high up on the ranking list. This sociable sporting event also boasts a first-class program with the presentation of team prizes and Saturday evening's Derby Ball. World's First Gondola with Revolving Cabins under Construction The new lift is being built by Garaventa at the ski resort of Sattel-Hochstuckli. The gondola has 19 cabins with seating for eight and users will be revolved twice on each ascent. Unlike with the trams, where only the floor revolves, the entire cabins will turn on the new gondola. Each circular cabin can hold up to eight passengers and stops revolving to allow loading/unloading at the base and top stations. The first cabins were delivered to the site last week. Verbier gets a Chondola The new lift will combine eight-seat gondola cabins and six seat chairs on the same lift and run from the height of Les Ruinettes to La Chaux via Brunet. This new lift will form the link which has until now been missing between the railway station at Le Châble and the top of the Mont-Fort glacier, which will then be possible to reach in fifty minutes. Capacity varies between 1,950 and 2,400 persons per hour, depending on configuration. Obergurgl aims to be the First Austrian Resort to Open for 2005-06 Obergurgl-Hochgurgl has one of the most snowsure ski areas in the Alps and is one of Europe's highest traditional villages at 1,800 meters (5,850 feet). "Why wait until everyone else [opens] when Hochgurgl has anything up to a meter (three feet) of beautiful new snow by the middle of November?" asked Gotthard Scheiber, boss of tourism at the resort. The resort also has modern snowmaking covering 25 kilometers (18 miles) of trails on the off-chance that the natural snowfall fails to materialize. There are several ski opening party events and a festival atmosphere between November 17th and December 23rd. This will include live music and entertainment at the Winter Palace at the Festkogl. Anastacia to Star at Ischgl’s First Big Summer Concert The concert, featuring hit tracks including Left Outside Alone, I’m Outta Love and Not That Kind will be at dusk on Friday July 22nd. Tickets are available now from the Paznaun Tourist Office in Ischgl. Andreas Steibl, Director of the Paznaun Tourist Office said, “For years now Ischgl has been the winter venue for extraordinary concerts by international stars. Now we are presenting this successful concept in the summer. We are delighted that despite a very tight touring schedule, Anastacia has agreed to perform for our guests.” The most recent winter concerts have starred Alanis Morissette, The Corrs, Peter Gabriel, The Sugababes and Ronan Keating. Saas Fee Expanding Projects already underway include the replacement of old four-seater cabins with eight- seaters on the Kreuzboden-Hohsaas gondola by Doppelmayr/Garaventa. The lift capacity will be increased from 1,000 to 1,800 people an hour as a result. An all new lift, the Längfluh quad chair lift, will be built this autumn by Garaventa. It will replace the old double chair and increase capacity on the route from 900 to 1,600 people an hour. The new ski area at Chessjen is due to open for the 2006/07 season. It will be served by a six chair with a capacity of 2,000 people an hour and a length or 1,500 meters (4,785 feet). There will also be a T-Bar lift with a 1,200 skier per hour capacity. The exact size of the new runs to be created in the Chessjen/Britannia area as a result is yet to be finalized but is expected to be around 20 kilometers (13 miles) of new terrain. Finally for the 2008/09 season, a second new six-seat chair lift Morenia should be built. Its capacity will be 2,500 people an hour over its 1,480-meter (4,810-foot) length. Drag Lifts Replaced by Chair at Flims The new 12 million Swiss franc lift will be just over two kilometers long (1.25 miles) and will rise 535 meters (1,738 feet) over an average incline of 27 percent. The ascent will take about seven and a half minutes. Salzburg Airport Opens Second Terminal It is known as the Amadeus Terminal 2. The need for the terminal was determined in 2003 when increased winter ski traffic and increased security measures made existing facilities inadequate to cope with demands. However, in the summer months facilities were adequate and so a unique concept of creating a space that worked as an airport terminal in the winter, but could be used as a conference, event, or exhibition space at other times was born. As a meeting space with excellent transport connections (including on site airport) and a good location in central Austria, Amadeus Terminal 2 can cater for 950 people seated, or 1,500 at a stand-up reception. New Uplift in Mayrhofen The Ahorn cable car, now more than 25 years old, is also expected to be replaced by a new one for coming season, however, this project may be delayed as construction issues need to be overcome. Zermatt/Cervinia Summer Gravity Park Improvements Lift tickets purchased on the Italian side now incorporate Snowcare insurance which protects the holder from any third party liability and civil responsibility if things go wrong. E-skipasses may also be purchased online and charged up with a keycard. St. Moritz Launches new Champagne The new Agreement is described as, “the official and fitting embodiment of the legendary Champagne climate in liquid form,” by the resort. It replaces the “old” St. Moritz Champagne which had been produced with a previous partner for more than 15 years since the late 1980s. The Dampierre family has been directly associated with the Champagne region for more than 700 years. When a process for making sparkling wine was discovered in the Seventeenth century, the Dampierre family played a leading roll in refining the new wines. In Switzerland, the house of Count Audoin de Dampierre is represented by the enologist Jean-Paul of St. Moritz. |
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