Industry News
Skicircus Saalbach in Austria is investing heavily into its infrastructure ahead of hosting the 2025 FIS Alpine World Championships. After bringing a new 8-seater chairlift to the resort for the 23/24 season, the 24/25 season will see not just one but three new gondolas being installed.
The ski area of Skicircus Saalbach combines the resorts of Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Leogang, and Fieberbrunn. Aside from 168 miles (270km) of groomed slopes, the ski area has a dedicated freeride area in Leogang. The resort is serviced by 70 lifts and cable cars and has an hourly capacity of 144,974 pax. The three new gondolas to be installed will boost the capacity in the resort by almost 3,000 pax. The ski resort sees an annual 2.5 million visitors on average, making it one of the most visited ski areas in the world.
In 2023, Saalbach retired the Limberg 4-seater chair after 29 years in operation and replaced it with a modern 8-seater by Doppelmayr which is equipped with seat heating and a bubble for extra comfort. The new Limberg 8-chair features a lower base station at 1,569 meters (5,148 feet), giving skiers an additional 138 meters (453 feet) of vertical on the Saalbach side of the mountain since the 23/24 season. In 2023, the resort also installed a new ski bridge which gives both skiers as well as snow groomers direct access to the 12er Nordbahn gondola from the Reichkendlkopf mountain range.
For the 24/25 season, the 12-person “12er Nordbahn” gondola on the Hinterglemm side of the resort will be upgraded to a more modern 10-person gondola by Doppelmayr. While the gondola size is reduced to seat 10 people, the travel time of the new gondola system of only 5:50 minutes will increase the hourly capacity from previously 2,150 to 3,000 pax. The name of the “12er Nordbahn” will remain the same as the name alludes to the peak, the “Zwölferkogel” at 1,985 meters (6,512 feet) altitude, rather than the capacity of the gondola.
In Fieberbrunn, the resort will replace the Streuböden and Lärchfilzkogel gondolas. The Streuböden update will double the uphill capacity from 1,250 to 2,500 people per hour while the Lärchfilzkogel update will more than triple the hourly capacity from previously 800 people per hour to 2,500 pax.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm will host the 2025 FIS Alpine World Championships from February 4-16 2025. FIS World Championships are held every two years, with the last Alpine World Championships being hosted in Courchevel and Meribel, France, in February 2023. As the world’s elite athletes descend on the Austrian resort, global TV coverage is expected to reach around 600 million viewers. Naturally, Saalbach will endevour to put its best foot forward for this high-profile event.
