When it comes to skiing, lift access is often one of the most important things to consider. As alpine skiing began becoming popular in the early 20th Century, the first ski lift was built in Germany in 1908 and now, over 100 years on, resorts are always looking to upgrade their systems. In this blog I look at all the brand new lifts that skiers and snowboarders alike can look to be the beneficiary’s of….the new high speed lifts in the European Alps for ski season 2017/18.
Val Thorens
Credit : Val Thorens Tourist Office.
Visitors to Val Thorens this season will be thrilled to hear that the Moraine chairlift has now been replaced by a high speed 10 seater gondola that will take skiers from the Maison du Thorens up towards the Col area of resort which gives great access to some of my personal favourite slopes in Val Thorens, the Genepi and the Moraine, both of which are long cruisy blues that lead back into the centre of Val Thorens. With all the recent developments in Val Thorens it is no surprise that it has been voted the World’s Best Ski Resort. If this sounds good to you take a look at our luxury chalets in Val Thorens.
Courchevel
In Courchevel Moriond, 1650, you will be pleased to hear that the Ariondaz gondola has been replaced by a new high speed 8 person gondola which will take 2400 skiers an hour up towards the heart of the Courchevel Moriond ski area. From this point, Courchevel 1850 and Meribel are only a couple of lifts away, with this new ski lift speeding up access to 1850 and the rest of the Three Valleys. We offer a wide variety of luxury chalets in Courchevel. Why not take a look and see if any of them tickle your fancy?
Samoëns
Credit: Grand Massif Tourist Office.
New to the quaint French ski resort of Samoëns in the Grand Massif is the Coulouvrier Chair lift. This brand new chair lift will take skiers up to the summit of the Tete des Saix where there is access to the vast majority of the slopes of the Samoëns area of the Grand Massif. The lift will be the longest lift chairlift in Europe covering almost 3 kilometres. If you are interested in visiting this lesser known resort of Samoëns be sure to have a look at which Samoens luxury chalets could be perfect for your luxury ski holiday.
Les Arcs
With Les Arcs developing year on year it is having to meet the demand of its guests by regularly adding new ski lifts and updating the older ski lifts. This year the Pre St Esprit chairlift has been replaced with a high speed covered 6 seater chairlift with heated seats! This will give greater access to up into Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. Les Arcs is linked with La Plagne and forms the Paradiski area which is the second largest interlinked ski area in Europe, second only to Les 3 Vallees. Take a look at our luxury chalets in Les Arcs.
Kitzbühel
After winning the award for the World’s Best Ski Resort Company 2017 at the World Ski Awards, Kitzbühel Bergbahn are looking to improve their lift system by replacing the old C7 chair which was slow and only able to carry 3 guests at a time. This has been upgraded to a high speed chairlift which will vastly improve the access to the Steinbergkogel area. Kitzbühel will now feature 11 chairlifts with heated seats, one way to make sure your behind is kept warm on those cold winters days. We feature a stunning luxury chalet in Kitzbühel, take a look and see for yourself. It’s so secluded you have to access it via the ski lifts.
If you are interested in visiting any of the resorts in the blog to experience some of these new and improved ski lifts, please do get in touch and one of our team will be happy to discuss your requirements for your luxury ski holiday. You can do so by giving us a call on +44 1202 203 650 or drop us an email.
