Zell am See in Austria’s Salzburgerland has built a new lift that will allow it to re-open terrain not used for more than three decades.
The lift, the first stage in a two year plan to (re)connect Zell am See to the Saalbach- Hinterglemm-Fieberbrunn again, will make Zell am See part of one of Austria’s next largest ski areas.
The new zellamseeXpress lift, a fast and comfortable 10 seater gondola, links Glemmtal in the Saalbach Hinterglemm area with Zell’s Schmittenhohe area.
The new lift runs to the top station of the Salersbachköpfl at 1,920m, reopening access to once popular downhill runs to the Glemm Valley that resort managers say were used for 50 years between 1930 and 1980. The ski journalist Peter Hardy has reported that it was already possible to make the ski connection last season from Zell, although the local ski areas have chosen not to promote the fact.
More upgrades are planned in the area for the 2018/19 season as part of the €25m project creating further slopes and an additional cable car connection from and into Glemmtal.
Altogether the linked area will have (or already has!) just under 350km of runs, re-overtaking the Arlberg area that claims it will be Austria’s new largest with 305km when it opens its linked run this winter (overtaking Saalbach- Hinterglemm which took the biggest in Austria title from the Skiwelt last winter when its link to Fieberbrunn took it to 280km of runs). The Arlberg also claims a further 200km of ungroomed off-piste ski routes.
Over at Zell Am See’s other neighbour and main ski resort partner Kaprun, the new Schmiedingerbahn lift will replace the Schmiedinger glacier lifts on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, becoming SalzburgerLand’s highest situated chairlift. Operating between 2,530m and 2,775m the modern 8-seater will include heated seats and pull-down weather-protection hoods.
(picture credit: Zell-am-See-Kaprun-Tourismus-GmbH-Gletscherbahnen-Kaprun-AG)
