Ski Arlberg

Last updated
Ski Arlberg
Sonnenkopf Ski Arlberg (203037193).jpeg
Location Vorarlberg, Tyrol (Austria)
Nearest major city St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Christoph am Arlberg, Stuben am Arlberg, Lech am Arlberg, Zürs am Arlberg
Top elevation2,811 m (Valluga-top)
Base elevation1,269 m
Skiable area>300km of prepared pistes >200km of unprepared back country for freeriders
Lift system 85 lifts
Website https://www.skiarlberg.at/en

The Ski Arlberg ski area is situated in the Arlberg massif in the states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol (Austria).

Contents

Since the winter of 2013–14, the villages of Lech, Oberlech, Zürs and Zug have been linked to the Warth-Schröcken ski area which makes Ski Arlberg the largest connected ski area in Austria. [1]

Geography

Since 2013, the ski resort includes the villages of Klösterle, Lech, Oberlech, Schröcken, St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Christoph am Arlberg, Stuben, Stubenbach, Warth, Zürs and Zug. [2]

The ski area consists of two parts, namely:

The highest elevation of the ski area is the top of the Valluga mountain at 2,811 m above sea level in St. Anton. [4]

View from the Sonnenkopf (Klostertal) Sonnenkopf Ski Arlberg (203037195).jpeg
View from the Sonnenkopf (Klostertal)

History [5]

In 1884, Emperor Franz Joseph I opened the Arlberg Railway, opening up the Arlberg region to visitors. [6] The Arlberg Ski Club was founded in 1901 and the first race took place in 1904, before there were any lifts or prepared slopes. In 1921 the first ski school was founded in Arlberg. Later, in 1931, the first of several films, Der Weiße Rausch, directed by Arnold Fanck, was made. In 1937, Austria's first tow lift and the first gondola lift went into operation in Zürs. [7] n 1983, Michael Manhart invented the Arlberg Jet, a snowmaking machine used exclusively at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Since the 2013/14 season, Lech has been connected to Schröcken by the 10-person Auenfeldjet gondola, making Ski Arlberg the largest connected ski area in Austria and one of the five largest in the world. [8] [1] For the 2016/17 season, the 10-person Flexenbahn gondola lift opened between the Arlberg East and West areas. [9] [10]

Lift system

The Flexenbahn gondola Flexenbahn .jpg
The Flexenbahn gondola

The ski area has a rich lift system consisting of a variety of aerial and surface lifts including 15 cable cars (cable cars, gondolas and funitels), 45 chairlifts (14 2-person lifts, one 3-person lift, 13 4-person lifts, 16 6-person and one 8-person lift) as well as 28 drag lifts. [11] A remarkable lift is the Weibermahd which is a combination lift, meaning that 8-person chairlifts and 10-person gondolas alternate on the same rope. It is the first combination lift installed in Vorarlberg and was manufactured by the Austrian-Swiss company Doppelmayr. [12]

St. Anton – St. Christoph – Stuben [13]

  • Albonabahn I (2-person chairlift)
  • Albonabahn II (gondola)
  • Albonagratbahn (2-person chairlift)
  • Angerlift (drag lift)
  • Arlenmähderbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • Fangbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Galzigbahn (funitel)
  • Gampbergbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • Gampenbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Kapallbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • Kindlisfeldlift (drag lift)
  • Maassbahn (2-person chairlift)
  • Maienseelift I (drag lift)
  • Maienseelift II (drag lift)
  • Mattunbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Muldenlift (drag lift)
  • Nasserein-Kinderpark (practicing drag lift)
  • Nassereinbahn (gondola)
  • Nassereinlift (drag lift)
  • Osthangbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Rauzlift (drag lift)
  • Rendlbahn (gondola)
  • Riffelbahn I (2-person chairlift)
  • Riffelbahn II (2-person chairlift)
  • Salzbödenlift (drag lift)
  • Schindlergratbahn (3-person chairlift)
  • Schöngrabenlift (drag lift)
  • St. Christophbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Tanzbödenbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • St. Christoph (practicing drag lift)
  • Valfagehrbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • Vallugabahn I (cable car)
  • Vallugabahn II (cable car)
  • Vallugalift (drag lift)
  • Walchlift (drag lift)
  • Zammermoosbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Gampen I (practicing drag lift)
  • Gampen II (practicing drag lift)

Lech – Oberlech – Zürs [14]

  • Auenfeldjet (gondola)
  • Babylift Berghof (drag lift)
  • Babylift Zürs (drag lift)
  • Balmengrat (drag lift)
  • Bergbahn Oberlech (cable car)
  • Flexenbahn (gondola)
  • Hasensprung (6-person chairlift)
  • Hexenboden (6-person chairlift)
  • Hinterwies (drag lift)
  • Kriegerhorn (6-person chairlift)
  • Madlochbahn (2-person chairlift)
  • Muggengrat (6-person chairlift)
  • Petersbodenbahn (6-person chairlift)
  • Rotschrofen (2-person chairlift)
  • Rüfikopfbahn I (cable car)
  • Rüfikopf II (cable car)
  • Schafalp (drag lift)
  • Schlegelkopf (2-person chairlift)
  • Schlegelkopf (4-person chairlift)
  • Schlosskopf (2-person chairlift)
  • Schüttboden (drag lift)
  • Seekopf (4-person chairlift)
  • Ski school lift (drag lift)
  • Steinmähder (8-person chairlift)
  • Superbaby (drag lift)
  • Trittalp (6-person chairlift)
  • Trittkopfbahn I (gondola)
  • Trittkopfbahn II (gondola)
  • Weibermahd (combination lift)
  • Zugerberg (2-person chairlift)
  • Zürsersee (4-person chairlift)
  • Practicing slope (6-person chairlift)
  • Practicing lift Flühen (drag lift)
  • Practicing lift Oberlech (drag lift)
  • Practicing lift Schwarzwand (drag lift)

Warth – Schröcken [15]

  • Dorfbahn Warth (gondola)
  • Hochalpbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Jägeralp-Express (6-person chairlift)
  • Karhornbahn (2-person chairlift)
  • Kitzeliftle (drag lift)
  • Kuchlbahn (2-person chairlift)
  • Körbliftle (drag lift)
  • Salober-Jet (6-person chairlift)
  • Skischaukel Falken-Körbersee (2-person chairlift)
  • Skischaukel Falken-Spielboden (2-person chairlift)
  • Sonnen-Jet (6-person chairlift)
  • Sonnencruiser (4-person chairlift)
  • Steffisalp-Express (4-person chairlift)
  • Wannenkopfbahn (4-person chairlift)
  • Wartherhorn-Express (6-person chairlift)

The White Ring

The famous "Der Weisse Ring" sign is located at the mountain station of the Rufikopfbahn. Der Weisse Ring.JPG
The famous "Der Weiße Ring" sign is located at the mountain station of the Rüfikopfbahn.

The White Ring (German: Der Weiße Ring) is one of the longest ski circuits in the world (22 km). It comprises five downhill runs, five ropeways, an intensive ascent and a backcountry ski run and 5,500 metres of altitude difference. [16]

For the 50th anniversary of the ski circuit, the first White Ring ski race was held in the 2005–06 season. The course record is 44:10:75 minutes and held since 2010 by Markus Weiskopf. [17]

FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

The Ski Arlberg ski resort has been the venue for numerous World Cup ski races in the past, including the following: [18] [19] [20]

super G (women), winner: Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)

In 2020, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup was postponed to 26 and 27 November due to a lack of snow and high temperatures on the original dates of November 14 and 15. [21]

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Vorarlberg is the westernmost state of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest population density. It borders three countries: Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The only Austrian state that shares a border with Vorarlberg is Tyrol, to the east.

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References

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  17. "Tiroler Weiskopf gewinnt "Weißen Ring"". ORF. 11 April 2012.
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  20. "Previous Results". Arlberg Kandahar Race. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
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