Leitner To Install New Gondola In Cortina For Alpine Ski World Champs

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, in preparation for the Alpine Ski World Championships 2021, LEITNER ropeways is getting ready to install a new gondola lift

The imposing Tofane mountain range in the Ampezzo Dolomites nature park lies on the western side of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Italian Province of Belluno, and is one of the best known mountain ranges in the Dolomites. Now that the Ski World Championship finals have been cancelled this year in Cortina on account of the spread of coronavirus, the ski resort is looking hopefully towards the next winter season. The Alpine Skiing World Championships will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo in February 2021, and preparations are fully underway: A new gondola lift will link the Tofane pistes with the Cinque Torri Ski Resort. 

The Ski World Cup final in March 2020 would have been the final rehearsal in Cortina for the forthcoming Alpine Ski World Cup 2021 and the Olympic Games 2026. In spite of great disappointment over the cancellation of the event, the famous winter sports resort is preparing for the upcoming highlights. And as a result, in Italy, which has been hit particularly hard by the corona pandemic, good news is coming from Cortina 

The Province of Belluno, within the plan by the Italian government for interventions in favour of infrastructure for the Ski World Championships 2021, has awarded the contract to build the gondola lift “Son dei Prade – Bai de Dones”. LEITNER ropeways will complete the ropeway between the Tofane resorts and that of the Cinque Torri on the Passo di Falzarego in the course of this year 

Only a few months ago, LEITNER ropeways completed the Col Druscié gondola lift in Cortina. It replaces the first section of the historic “Freccia nel cielo“ ropeway from Cortina to Col Druscié. Along with PRINOTH (snow groomers) and DEMACLENKO (snowmaking systems), LEITNER ropeways is also the technical supplier and partner of the Cortina 2021 Foundation.

Important Strategic Link

The new gondola lift, amounting to an order volume of approximately 15 million euros, will be altogether 4.5 km long and fitted with 54 cabins, each holding ten people, and will connect the ropeways of Pocol with Cinque Torri in two sections via a middle station in Cianzopè. 

The new link is significant not only in relation to the Ski World Championships 2021, but is also important in the long term for the development of tourism in Cortina. As a result of this project, the Tofane region will be linked to the Sellaronda. In addition, the gondola lift will relieve the very busy road between Cortina and the Passo di Falzarego.

In spite of the current difficult times, the Mayor of Cortina, Gianpietro Ghedina, is confident: “The contract for the work on the new gondola lift, which will link the Tofane region with Cinque Torri, is taking place at a very critical point in our history. But that gives us an impulse to venture something and to think about our future. We have waited a long time for this connecting link between our ski resorts. Soon this strategically important project will become reality. Now and in the future, great challenges await us, as well as important goals such as the Alpine Ski World Championships 2021.” 

Building work is scheduled to start at the end of June – assuming that the current dramatic situation caused by the corona pandemic has improved. At the end of this year or at the beginning of January 2021, the new installation should be in operation and Cortina will be able to present the public with an up-to-date line at the Ski World Championships 2021

• GD10 “Son dei Prade – Bai de Dones”:
• Horizontal length 1st section: 2,078 m
• Horizontal length 2nd Section: 2,441 m
• Height difference: 242 m
• Speed: 6 m/sec
• Capacity: 1,100 p/h extendable up to 1,800 p/h
• Number of cabins: 54
• Number of towers: 28