What's New on the Slopes this Winter

One of the most exciting improvements in the Swiss Alps this season is the new Medran IV gondola lift in Verbier, which will whisk you up the mountain to Les Ruinettes in just six minutes. Featuring 10-seater fully-glazed gondolas, enjoy views over Verbier, the valley and ski area as the stylish lift delivers you to the top of the slopes.

Speaking of slopes, why not intersperse your skiing with a gourmet break or two on Crans Montana’s Ski Food Safari which is back for 2022. Speed down the slopes, stopping in different establishments that will offer you one of their specialties accompanied by a glass of local wine for a reasonable price of EUR 10.

Also back for 2022 is the legendary Patrouille des Glaciers, a ski mountaineering race held every two years by the Swiss Armed Forces. Considered the toughest in the world, the race takes teams over 112 km from Zermatt via Arrola to Verbier. Following the cancellation of the race last year, it will now take place in April 2022 after a three-year break.

One of the most anticipated openings is in Courchevel, with the hotly-awaited new ski run, Eclipse, opening this season. Boasting an unrivalled track that is already daunting skiers, the run will get its first taste of action during the World Cup 2022 Finals and the 2023 World Championships.

Over in Meribel, skiers will enjoy the new high-speed chairlift, Bouquetin, which replaces the Plattieres 3 gondola. This new six-seater chairlift will whisk you 302 metres to the summit of 3 Marches in just 2.5 minutes! Another welcome addition in the Three Valleys is the Belleville Valley Premium Pass. For an extra 50 EUR you have access to a host of extra activities in Val Thorens, Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville, from speeding down the Cosmojet and Speedmountain sled runs to making use of the facilities in the valley’s sports centres.

If you’re a fan of ski touring, then you will want to head over to Val d’Isere which is opening a new trail in La Daille. Climb 450 metres over 2.5 km in the Trifollet, taking in the forest, the bridges above Lost Valley and the snow-covered ruins. There’s also the Solaise ski touring trail which offers a fairly challenging 400m climb in the Rogoney forest. Another highlight for 2021/22 in the resort is the opportunity to try your hand at cross-country skiing and biathlon with former top-level pro athlete and member of France’s biathlon team, Lena Arnaud.

Younger skiers are not left out this season either with the extremely enjoyable Indian Trail in Les Gets receiving a makeover. New elements include ringing a “Totem Gong”, fist-bumping rotating hands as you ski past and skiing through a wall of giant “chips”, under the watchful eye of bison and pumas!

The lift system in the vast Arlberg region is constantly being upgraded and this year is no exception. Thanks to the Schindlergratbahn cable car in St Anton, skiers can decide whether they want to get into a cabin for “experts” which delivers you to the height of the former top station, or get into a cabin for “families” which will take you to a new terminus 420 metres further north-east where runs such as Schindlerkar, Mattun and Valfagehr await.

Lech welcomes two new lifts this season - the new six-seater Madlochbahn chairlift which delivers skiers to the Madlochjoch mountain station in just five minutes and the new Zugerbergbahn 10-passenger cable car. The new Madlochbahn lift boasts weather protection bubbles and heated seats to make your journey up the mountain as comfortable as possible, whilst the Zugerbergbahn cable car features panoramic windows and makes the ascent up the mountain twice as fast as its predecessor.

There’s also an exciting addition in Cortina d’Ampezzo with the new gondola Son dei Prade - Bai de Dones linking the Tofane and Cinque Torri ski areas for the first time. The Cinque Torri area provides access to Alta Badia and the Sella Ronda, meaning the new lift will serve to connect Cortina more directly with the rest of the Dolomiti Superski. There’s also a new four-seater chairlift in the ski area of Ra Valles, the highest in Cortina. The chairlift substitutes two lifts and will dramatically reduce transport time from 15 to 7 minutes.

From new lifts to new runs; this season sees the new black run “La Ria” open in Val Gardena. The run starts from the top station of the Dantercepies cable car and winds it way for over a kilometre spanning 310 metres in altitude with a maximum gradient of 52% . There’s also the new “Pilat” piste, which takes you from Alpe di Siusi through the rocky woods to Ortisei accompanied by a unique view over the whole of Val Gardena.