SAM Magazine—Salzburgerland, Austria, Oct. 3, 2016—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, will make Zell am See part of one of Austria's largest ski areas.

The new zellamseeXpress lift, a 10-seat 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 (6,300 feet), reopening access to once popular downhill runs to the Glemm Valley that resort managers say were used for 50 years between 1930 and 1980.

More upgrades are planned in the area for the 2018-19 season as part of the €25m (about $28 million) project to expand terrain and add an additional cable car connection from and into Glemmtal. All together, the linked area will have nearly 350km (217 miles) of runs.

Over at Zell am See's other neighbor 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 (8,300 and 9,104 feet), the modern eight-passenger bubble lift will include heated seats.

This report is courtesy of Snow24 World Snow Resort News

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