New "SONNEN" Klausberg Lift Construction Ongoing

Klausberg Seilbahn AG will open the new SONNEN (formerly Sonnenlift) in December 2023. After more than 30 years, the aging chairlift will be replaced by a state-of-the-art 10-seater gondola lift. In addition, the lift route will be extended in both directions, the slopes widened and the surrounding alpine pastures and restaurants better integrated into the ski area. The new SONNEN climbs to the second longest cable car on the Klausberg.

Story
As early as 1970, the year Klausberg Seilbahn AG was founded, plans were made that envisaged the so-called "Breitrast" as the mountain station of the Sonnenlift. The "Breitrast" is geographically higher than the newly planned mountain station of the sun. 20 years later, i.e. in 1990, further inspections were made in this area and then the 3-seater chairlift was built. The 3-seater chairlift that existed until last winter was 31 years old. The corresponding operating license was extended by a further two years in recent years with a minor revision. A major revision was no longer economically viable. The ski slope map was revised in 2011 and an extension of the Sonnenlift upwards and downwards was approved. The then approved upward extension, corresponds exactly to the plans that have now been submitted for the new gondola lift and is a good deal below the "Breitrast". Compared to 2011, the new section below is a little further down the valley. With this extension, we can integrate an Alm much better into the day-to-day business and thus ensure the existence of this catering business.

Railway & snowmaking
The new track is a product of the Doppelmayr company and bears the product name D-Line. The 10-seater gondola used, called "Omega IV", 47 in number, meets the highest comfort and safety standards. The conveying capacity is 2,400 people per hour. A length of 1,458 meters is mastered at a maximum speed of 5 m/s. The travel time will level off at 6-8 minutes (depending on speed). In addition, the entire snow system will be rebuilt in this newly built section of the sun - snowmaking will be raised to a new level. This new snowmaking system will be supplied by Technoalpin. We have been in partnership with these two companies, Doppelmayr and Technoalpin, for decades. All lifts and cannons that are used on the Klausberg

As already mentioned, the pistes will be widened: on the one hand to ensure and expand the attractiveness of the ski area, on the other hand to increase safety on the pistes. In addition, the new Sonnen mountain station will offer a breathtaking all-round view.

In the course of the new planning of the sun, special attention was paid to the valley run: the valley run is used by many tobogganists, among other things. An expansion or an adjustment to safety measures and considerations made sense so that skiers and tobogganists can use the slope at the same time. This adjustment work fell victim to other work in recent years (construction of the K1, K2 and Panorama lifts).

The lower part of the valley run (implemented in 2016) was modified in advance. The aim of this planned adjustment of the rest of the valley run is to build a safe, wider and modern slope.

This new valley run will become a "blue" slope. There will also be a connecting slope from the new Sonnen to the K1 lift. This increases the attractiveness of the entire ski area and some huts are better integrated as a result. Also, some intersections will be eliminated.

Above all, however, the slope of the new Sonnen will be tunnelled: Skiers on the Sonnen slope will then no longer cross the slightly less experienced skiers on the valley slope.

As a result, Klausberg Seilbahn AG has achieved an enormous improvement in terms of safety aspects in this section. This new valley run will become a "blue" slope. There will also be a connecting slope from the new Sonnen to the K1 lift. This increases the attractiveness of the entire ski area and some huts are better integrated as a result.

The first minor work was already carried out in autumn 2022. After the 2022/2023 winter season, the main work on the new sun began immediately at the end of April. The coordination of the construction and dredging companies, all of which are from the area and with whom we have a long-standing partnership, was taken over by Managing Director Walter Fischer and Plant Manager Franz Künig. After an initial finding phase, the work quickly gained speed and efficiency. In the meantime, the companies involved and Klausberg Seilbahn AG have grown together to form a well-established team. The work is currently going according to plan. Nothing stands in the way of the opening in late autumn/December 2023.

When defining the word "sustainability" one should always think in several dimensions. For some, this word means doing business sustainably, for others dealing sustainably with the resources of the environment, for others dealing with fellow human beings and society in a socially sustainable manner. We believe that all definitions must find their place in a project like that of the sun. We are firmly convinced that with the new construction of the Sonnenlift we are doing business sustainably and creating added value for our living space. So we want to maintain the status quo, ie keep the number of guests at this level and thus ensure the continued existence of local tourism. We try to carry out the work on the mountain as environmentally friendly as possible. we are aware

facts and figures

• Lift name: Suns
• Manufacturer: Doppelmayr
• Type: 10-seater single-cable gondola D-Line
• Number of cabins: 47 "Omega IV"
• Cabin capacity: 10 people
• Capacity: 2,400 pph
• Valley station: 1,436 m | Mountain station: 2,014 m (difference in altitude: 578 m)
• Length: 1,458 m
• Speed: 5m/s
• Ride time: 6:12 min
• Year of construction: 2022/2023
• Location: Skiarena Klausberg - Skiworld Ahrntal | South-Tirol