Axamer Lizum – Schlick 2000 ski link a step closer
Following a council meeting in the Stubai village of Telfes yesterday evening, a majority of the votes are now in favour of proceeding with ski lift connection between Axamer Lizum and Schlick 2000. The combined area would eventually bring together Mutters, Gotzens, Axamer Lizum and Schlick 2000 and complete the biggest ski region in the Innsbruck region. According to locals the project to link the Axamer Lizum and Schlick 2000 ski areas has been under discussion 20 years and deep divisions have existed between the towns of the Stubai valley as to whether to link into the Axamer Lizum ski region. The vote paves the way toward the start of the consultation and financing of the project.
Proposed ski lift link between Axamer Lizum (top) and Schlick 2000 (bottom) - image © ineedsnow.com
Wuhuu…first step is done…as I am from the valley I know how difficult it was to get started on this project seriously and nobody thought Telfes will vote for it…so thats pretty cool. But now Hannes Gschwentner, member of the Tyrolean government says “no way they are going to build a lift in the nature protected zone” … but I am very positive that somehow they will work it out…and to be honest, they have to, otherwise the stubai valley will be touristicly dead in a few years. But not only for the tourists as well for the locals this project would be just great…two very nice skiing areas linked together…what does a skier/rider wants more?
Thanks for the local view point Kathy, it is good to hear from those who are directly affected. The Stubai is a great ski region with Schlick, the Stubai Glacier as well as Meiders – Serles and Elferlifte directly in Neustift. Axamer Lizum is probably the best ski area in the vicinity of Innsbruck. The resort is high at almost 1600m, it has some great off-piste and with the planned linked from Mutters / Gotzens then it promises to be a great area. The issue for me is that the combined area would be greater than the 2 parts as they originally stand. Yes the nature has to be preserved and yes there will those who fear losses to other the side, but big is generally good when trying to market a ski region and this is a great move overall in my opinion.
Being able to ski from Mutters all the way over to Fulpmes will be amazing – as long as both the projects go ahead – AND such a big area just 10 minutes from Innsbruck airport!! If that doesn’t get the Brits excited then nothing will. But at the moment, trying to persuade them to go somewhere with about 20km of piste is a no-goer, so the sooner the better is what I say!
Bang on the money Michelle, nature needs preserving at all costs but in a region that is a direct competitor of so many other alpine resorts then progress is required even to the perceived detriment of a pristine area. As far as I know the lift infrastructure / pylons will be kept to an absolute minimum and since this is just a connecting lift between the 2 areas then there is no need for a top lift station and ski facilities within the sensitive natural area in question. For that reason then the impact will be minimal both visually and in terms of disruption to the ecology. Being able to ski from Mutters to Schlick and back will be a fantastic ski safari and one worth visiting for. And talking of ecology, a tram runs through the streets of Innsbruck up to Mutters as well as Fulpmes, the villages serving the Schlick ski area so in terms of other forms of environmental impact, the combined ski area will tick many boxes. GET IT BUILT !
as Kathy already mentioned…they would have to build some part´s of the new lift an protected zone. this could take ages…
Yes but as long as it is moving forward. I am sure there will be very many reasons not to put this link in, most certainly one of them being the environmental impact but it is after all a region that relies almost solely on tourism and ski buses (or even worse cars) between great but compact ski areas is far from ideal. I really hope that those involved can see the benefits as well as the long talked about issues with the link.
Yes, I think it must be done. I have been a week in Fulpmes as a teenager and i really liked it, didn’t even know where it was until i was a week in axamer last year and passed it with the skibus on my way to Stubai gletcher.
To compete with the bigger systems in france and Italy it would be good, bot i am always checking vertical drop/lift queues for deciding where to go. More lifts is not a reason to go somewhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3IXtjqRMU is my vid from 20 mars-09, epic day in axamer!
Petteri
Some axamer pics on my website..
Petteri, I would totally agree that lifts don’t make an area, the frustrating thing about the Axamer Lizum / Mutters / Gotzens ski region is that the terrain is superb and there is a real ‘locals’ feel to it, but if that lift were added then it creates an almost circular route of ski pistes. I dislike the ski traffic in the bigger ski regions but for me the whole fun of skiing is to get from A to B and travelling on skis is one of the very best ways to do this. And if a lift opens up a new ski area and combines it to make a ski region then there are many good reasons to do this. I skied the Gotzner abfahrt for 6 winters with almost nobody on it and it was paradise, taking me right back to my door and often in great snow. Now there is a gondola and many people use the slope – but I can’t help feeling it is right to share the slope and experiences with others. Not sure I would say the same if it was 60cm deep on some of my off-piste routes in Axamer Lizum though
….and by the way Petteri, you have some of the very best ski images I can remember seeing on your youtube slide show. Check it out for sure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3IXtjqRMU
One thing though, where are the apres ski images
?