The SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental, Austria’s largest lift-linked ski area, will offers 280 kilometres of slopes this winter after a new run was created to add a kilometre or two to the previous tally.
Some large multi-resort ski regions, notably many of those in France, do not change the piste kilometre tally even after creating dozens of new runs over a period of years, the world’s largest area, the 3 Valleys, being a case in point, having not increased its 600km figure despite adding many runs over the decades.
However the Skiwelt is one of those that does add up its piste length meticulously and has gradually grown from a figure of 250km around a decade ago now. It also survived a scandal a year ago when researcher and cartographer Christoph Schrahe made digital measurements of ski areas using Google Earth and other techniques. This cause a furore in Austrian media and forced some areas to confess they had done things like measure wide slopes three times or measured the distance a skier might travel zig zagging down a run rather than the actual length of the run. One big name area to reduce its claimed today bin the aftermath was Mayrhofen and the Ziller Valley. However the Skiwelt called in independent experts who confirmed their measurements were spot on.
The 280km tally for 14-15 is thanks to the creation of a completely new slope, equipped with snowmaking which is being created in the SkiWelt Brixen area. The new red piste, which the area said in a statement is particularly scenically attractive, descends from the Holzalm at 1,440m for 1.2 kilometres to Gasthof Nieding (1,215m) where it joins the valley descent.
The new run is part of a 23 million euros spend buy the SkiWelt for the coming winter season, the lion’s share of which has gone on a spectacular new 10 Million Euro, the Aualm lift above Scheffau.
The new detachable 8-seater chairlift will be one of the most advanced, most technically sophisticated, most comfortable lifts in the world. For maximum speed and comfort it will feature conveyor belt entry, heated seats, weather hoods and self-locking restraining bars with footrests.
Money is also being spent, inevitably, or more snowmaking upgrades. The Skiwelt is one of the world’s largest snowmakers with 1,500 snowguns covering 85% of the slopes. There will also be four new piste bashers taking the fleet up to 64 and, among other improvements, 1.2 million euros is being spent on an extension to incorporate a restaurant with table service and seating for 200 people, including a panoramic sun terrace at the Bergkaiser panoramic restaurant above Ellmau.
