Major Quality Boost At St. Johann Ski Resort

If things go to plan for the Swedish majority owners SkiStar, the St. Johann in Tirol will be a role model for family friendly ski resorts in future. With two new Leitner ropeways installations, the resort is moving one big step closer to this goal this winter season. The total investment for the new ropeway construction and other quality enhancements is 20 million Euros.

A 6-seater chairlift and a 10-passenger gondola lift by Leitner ropeways are being installed to upgrade facilities at Eichenhof. What makes the project special is that the ropeways cover areas in the region with very different topographies, meeting the needs of multiple target groups. While the chairlift provides access to the upper area of the Eichenhof region with its challenging slopes, and is therefore designed for serious skiers, the new gondola lift acts as the main shuttle for beginners and pedestrians.

“For our ropeways, we are always looking for a solution that meets our specific needs 100 percent. This ranges from the choice of technology, to the perfectly coordinated implementation based on our vision. We have found the best partner for this in Leitner ropeways,” explains Manfred Bader, Managing Director of SkiStar St. Johann.

The Eichenhof gondola lift gives children, beginners and ski schools particularly easy and comfortable access to the ski resort, and also provides largely barrier-free transport to the hut for pedestrians, thanks to its location near the car park. The 24 gondolas travel a distance of 904 meters to the “Granderschupf”, transporting 1,880 passengers per hour. From there, the new 6-seater chairlift from “Granderschupf” to above the former top station “Eichenhof 2” provides access to the ski area itself and opens up the resort to advanced skiers. The system with bubbles and seat heating transports 2,400 passengers per hour and travels a distance of 1,630 meters. Operating company SkiStar expects each visitor to use the ropeway more frequently thanks to the higher capacity and the fact that skiers no longer need to remove their skis to use it.

By combining this with the other investments, St. Johann is starting the new winter season full of vigor. The leading Scandinavian ski resort operator SkiStar is especially focused on providing a holistic winter experience, in addition to maximizing the family-friendliness. The state-of-the-art technology from LEITNER ropeways has created the perfect conditions for this.

For Per Granas, CTO of SkiStar, reliability and quality were the priority when making the decision: “For smooth operation, it is critical that the systems fulfill their performance promises in practice, and are delivered and installed on time. In this area, cooperation with Leitner ropeways runs like clockwork!”

GD10 Eichenhof:
Length: 904 m
Vertical distance: 140 m
Speed: 5 m/sec
Capacity: 1880 p/h
Number of cabins: 24
Number of towers: 8 

CD6C Eichenhof: 
Length: 1,630 m
Vertical distance: 445 m
Speed: 6 m/sec
Capacity: 2,400 p/h
Number of chairs: 66
Number of towers: 13