Gasteiner Bergbahnen Offers Green Ideas For A Sustainably White Ski Season
Gasteiner Bergbahnen is setting the course for the future with a comprehensive digitalization and sustainability offensive
The ski area is working at an impressive pace to expand renewable energies, test environmentally friendly fuels and make sustainable travel attractive for day guests and holidaymakers.
Gastein is a ski area with history and the people involved at Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG have set themselves the goal of carrying this heritage responsibly into the future. Board member Andreas Innerhofer and his team have committed to a scientifically supported sustainability strategy in 2022 that takes a 360° view of cable car operations, its importance for tourism and mobility in the valley, and the role of mountain railways as employers.
“The responsibility for the future of the ski area is now in our hands and we want to take the necessary steps to continue to secure skiing in a sustainable manner and to make this natural paradise accessible to all winter sports enthusiasts. We are accompanied on this path by the Terra Institute and tourism researcher Professor Kurt Luger from the University of Salzburg,” says board member Andreas Innerhofer, outlining the objectives of the Gasteiner Bergbahnen’s sustainability efforts. One of the main pillars of the strategy is the massive expansion of renewable energies through photovoltaic systems. The first building-integrated areas with an output of around 130 kilowatt peak were created in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, this value can be increased fivefold to a total output of 658.13 kilowatt peak by commissioning additional systems, which corresponds approximately to the annual electricity requirements of 500 people in Central Europe. A particularly attractive architectural highlight is the newly built solar park at the valley station of the Schlossalmbahn. Here, the PV modules grow tree-like into the sky and generate electricity both for the cable car operation and for the 20 newly created e-charging stations. The facility, designed by the architectural firm Innerhofer or Innerhofer, will be completely integrated into the existing parking lot, so that no additional green space is used.
Pilot project HVO: alternative fuel for snow groomers
In addition to generating energy from renewable sources, CO2 reduction is also at the top of Skigastein's sustainability agenda. The share of Austrian cable cars in the country's total CO2 emissions is small at 0.2 percent. Nevertheless, the Gasteiner Bergbahnen have explored potential for improvement within the company and looked for environmentally friendly alternatives. Around two thirds of the CO2 emissions in the ski area can be attributed to the preparation of the slopes and company-owned vehicles. Skigastein is therefore gradually converting its piste equipment to the environmentally friendly fuel HVO, which is made from recycled vegetable oil. This means that CO2 emissions in this area can be reduced by 90 percent.
“Train in, ski out”: comfortable and sustainable skiing fun
Thanks to its direct connection to the Tauern Railway, the Gastein Valley enjoys an extremely privileged location when it comes to environmentally friendly travel by public transport. “Train in, ski out” is the motto when the train in Bad Gastein stops right next to the valley station of the Stubnerkogelbahn. There, a ski rental and ski depot make entry into the piste paradise even more convenient and enable a comfortable journey without large luggage. Thanks to a cooperation with the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund, a valid day ski pass also serves as a free ticket for arrival and departure on all SVV lines in the association area. If you are a holiday or day guest and have to cover the so-called “last mile” from public transport to your accommodation or other destinations, electric vehicles are available in car sharing mode at six locations in Bad Hofgastein.
Digital added value for an analog mountain experience
Comfort and user-friendliness are also the focus of the new skigastein.com website - the new site can be navigated intuitively almost like an app. Practical features such as an interactive piste panorama and an expanded online ticket shop offer skiers digital added value to the analog mountain experience. The successful dynamic pricing model gives early bookers a decisive price advantage when booking online.
Thanks to attractive advance sales discounts, the regular price for a day ski pass is reduced from 73.90 euros to up to 62.80 euros if booked in good time. Families particularly benefit from the weekend special on Saturdays and Sundays - the children's day ticket costs just 24 euros, the youth day ticket costs 36 euros. The little ones under the age of six are free on the Gastein slopes anyway. As a special treat, day ski passes can be used the day before from 3:00 p.m. to get in the mood for the next day of skiing with a few runs.
Skigastein tells its story(s)
When it comes to tourist offerings, the Gastein ski area is literally a natural. Due to the altitude, all mountain stations are at over 2,000 meters - that of the Goldbergbahn, at 2,650 meters, is the highest point in the entire Skiamadé area. In total, the Gastein Valley offers around 200 kilometers of pistes and more than ten runs overcome an altitude difference of more than 1,000 meters. At the forefront is the descent from the Hohe Scharte. It is simply called “The North” and leads over 1,440 meters into the valley. Anyone who likes to be out in open terrain will find a true freeride El Dorado in Sportgastein. You can also “experience” pure natural snow on the Graukogel: the legendary World Ski Championships piste from 1958 does not require any snowmaking. The mountain railways want to highlight the many highlights of the ski area with the new winter campaign “Skigastein, I want to be there”. “One component of our campaign is the 'Gastein stories'. They should tell the eventful history and moving stories of Gastein and convey emotion and enthusiasm. Freeride professional Sandra Lahnsteiner-Wagner invites exciting personalities to visit Gastein for a ski visit and talk. The American alpine skier and Olympic champion Julia Mancuso is planned as a guest, among others,” explains marketing and communications manager Markus Papai.
An overview of Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG’s sustainability projects
As a company that works in and with nature, the Gasteiner Bergbahnen are aware of their responsibility for the Gastein mountains and are continually taking steps to provide visitors with a sustainable mountain experience for generations. In order to conserve resources without having to compromise on the quality of the slopes, the Gasteiner Bergbahnen rely on efficient snow management. When making snow, data-supported snow height measurements and snow fences are used to produce and hold snow with pinpoint accuracy. The transport capacity of the cable cars is also specifically regulated and based on the flow of people in order to avoid energy losses. And in the summer, measures are taken in the areas of forest care, reforestation and soil activation in collaboration with partners in agriculture and forestry. The energy the ski area uses already comes exclusively from renewable sources. In addition to the 100% certified green electricity that the Gasteiner Bergbahnen obtains from Salzburg AG and the E-Werk Bad Hofgastein, the lift company is increasingly producing its own electricity.
About Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG
With around 120 year-round and up to 130 seasonal workers, Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG, based in Bad Hofgastein, is one of the largest employers in Gastein and one of the largest cable car companies in Austria. The core business of Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG is the two-season operation of 25 cable cars and lifts and 124 kilometers of slopes in Bad Hofgastein, Bad Gastein and Sportgastein in winter and the 3 summer mountains Schlossalm, Stubnerkogel and Graukogel in summer. Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG is part of Ski amadé, the largest ski association in Austria.
The traditional company, created in 1979 from a merger of the former mountain railway companies from Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein, stands for the highest quality and safety standards in order to transport up to 15,000 visitors to the peaks and slopes of the Gastein Valley every day. Modern lift systems, innovative technologies and the greatest possible comfort have ensured particularly pleasant skiing pleasure since the company was founded. In order to be able to meet these standards in the long term, the cable car company attaches great importance to constant quality control, forward-looking planning and crisis prevention.
