A new eight-seater chairlift is being installed on the Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See ahead of the 2026/27 winter season, replacing the existing four-seater Kapellenbahn.
The new detachable chairlift is part of a continuing programme of investment in the Schmittenhöhe ski area.
New 8-seater chairlift has heated seats
The existing Kapellenbahn chairlift has been operating since 2001. It will be replaced this winter by a new Doppelmayr eight-seater lift, with a maximum speed of 5.5 m/s, reducing the journey time to around three minutes.
Capacity will increase substantially, from 2400 skiers and snowboarders per hour to 3400 passengers per hour.
Even better than the speed, the new chairs promise to be a comfy ride, with heated seats, weather-protection bubbles and automatically locking safety bars.
Being a detatchable lift, the conveyor-belt loading system means the chairs can slow down considerably as they enter and leave the stations, making getting on and off easier.
If there did happen to be an issue, Doppelmayr’s AURO system has cameras and sensors monitoring the unloading area, which will then automatically respond if an issue is detected.
New base and top stations
The base station will move slightly close to Piesendorf, to improve access to the Pingauer Hütte, while the new top station will include a piste rescue office and additional toilets.
Fans of recycling will be delighted to know that the old chairlift will not be scrapped, but is instead being dismantled and will transferred to a resort in Romania.
The Kapellenbahn is the latest in a series of upgrades on the Schmittenhöhe, following investment in the Sonnkogelbahn and modernisation of the Breiteckbahn as the ski area continues to update its lift infrastructure.
Accommodation in Zell am See and Kaprun
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