The biggest investment in the history of the Sierra Nevada ski resort

Sierra Nevada will have four new ski lifts this ski season

The ski resort of Sierra Nevada faces a new winter season and snow activities with the implementation of up to four new lifts, one of them high capacity, the Al-Andalus gondola; two others for the sport of competition; and finally one for the initiation of new fans of skiing and snowboarding.

Ski lifts

The most significant action in terms of investment and impact on the skiable area is the installation of four new lifts in Sierra Nevada for the new season. If last season the challenge of putting two new chairlifts into operation - replacing two old ones - was already formidable, this season the Andalusian ski resort has taken a further leap towards modernizing its facilities, and the transport and distribution of users, with the replacement of the new ski lifts.This year, with the replacement of the old Al Ándalus gondola lift (33 years of service), the installation of two new chairlifts between Loma de Dílar and El Río, and an initiation conveyor belt on the Borreguiles plain, the ski resort has taken a further step towards the modernization of its facilities and the transport and distribution of users.

Sierra Nevada will open four ski lifts almost simultaneously between the Puente de la Constitución (Constitution Day) and the beginning of the Christmas holidays.

and the beginning of the Christmas holidays, if there are no construction problems.

The new Al Ándalus, with an investment of 16.7 million (co-financed with FEDER React funds), is a faster, more comfortable and energy-efficient gondola lift of the latest generation. It will have 19 towers (compared to the 25 of the old one), 77 cabins (with a capacity of 10 pax per cabin), a linear route of 2.5 kilometres (between Pradollano and Borreguiles), a speed of up to 6 meters/second and a travel time of 8.5 minutes.

The ski lifts El Puente I and II will serve an existing ski area (Víbora, Montebajo, Villén or El Puente slopes) where a new Sierra Nevada training and competition area will be promoted. This will decongest the Monachil chairlift and the Loma de Dílar area, where currently -especially on weekends- Andalusian competition teams and tourist skiers mix, creating traffic problems and eventually safety problems.

With the transfer of training and official races to the area of El Puente, a competition stadium is created, conditioned for the high performance of the Andalusian racers. The double ski lift, in which the competitors will have preference of use, but not exclusivity, has a cost of 4.1 million Euros, of which 2.5 million correspond to the Consejería de Turismo y Deportes de la Junta de Andalucía (the rest, 1.6 million is paid by Cetursa), which subsidized the project as support to the clubs and the 3,000 sportsmen and women of the Andalusian Federation of Athletics.3,000 athletes of the Andalusian Winter Sports Federation (FADI).

The fourth lift is an initiation carpet in Borreguiles; baptized Dauro II, it will cross diagonally the Borreguiles plain; with this new ribbon the remodeling of the Beginners' area begins with the aspiration of creating a semi-enclosed area where beginners can learn in safe conditions and in a fun environment. The new carpet is a double ribbon with gallery, 179 meters long and a capacity of 1,500 people/hour.

Snow produced

The renovation of the Sierra Nevada snowmaking center completed this summer has brought to a close the major transformation of the system undertaken five seasons ago with the replacement of almost all of the old cannons with the latest generation devices, now more effective and efficient.

Thus, this summer, in addition to the incorporation of 32 new high and low pressure cannons, it has been the turn to change the old compressors and water pumps, the 'heart' of the snow produced in the station, with more than 40 years old.

The new compressors are smaller and less powerful than the old ones (they require four times less electrical power) and their air consumption in relation to the water converted into snow is 25 times lower. This means that the new compressors are adapted at all times to the real compressed air needs of the new cannons installed in Sierra Nevada.

In addition, the so-called compressor building, which has been completely refurbished, will no longer be the only one to house these compressed air generation devices, but will be distributed by zones (Loma de Díez, Loma de Díez, Loma de Díez and Loma de Díez). by zones (Loma de Dílar) to optimize production, minimize energy loss, and reduce the time required to activate the system, thus making more efficient use of the cooling windows.

The renovation of snow production at the Granada ski resort, co-financed with more than 5 million euros in ERDF React funds, will include changes to other electrical systems and water pipes installed over the years.This will make Sierra Nevada's snowmaking system one of the most modern, environmentally and energetically sustainable in the entire winter sports ski area.

Latest generation TT10 cannon

Hybrid machines

This season Cetursa Sierra Nevada incorporates 4 new hybrid slope grooming machines, making the Granada winter resort, with 8 in total, a world leader in the use of sustainable machines for the grooming and maintenance of the snow in the skiable area.

Sierra Nevada already had 4 Pisten Bully 600 E+, with combined diesel and electric propulsion , which reduce energy consumption and produce 20% less CO2 emissions, and are also quieter. The arrival of the new machines means the 'retirement' of the new machines.retirementThe arrival of the new machines means the retirement of four of the older ones.

The new machines, designed and manufactured -like the previous ones- by Kässbohrer, the German multinational company awarded the public tender, are co-financed by the Andalusia ERDF Operational Program through the REACT-EU resources, destined to energy saving projects.

The autonomy of the hybrid treadmills, understood as the refueling interval, is greater than that of the conventional Pisten Bully 600, thanks to its lower fuel consumption. Intelligent energy management ensures that the electric motors work as generators and support the hydraulic pumps via the distribution box when driving downhill.

On the other hand, Sierra Nevada - which has a total of 22 treading machines - will test HVO biodiesel as a sustainable fuel during the 23/24 season. The tests will be carried out with two machines to check how this fuel, which is obtained from recycled oil and natural fats, responds at altitude and low temperatures.

Pisten Bully 600+ track-treading machine

Themed tracks

This season Sierra Nevada will have 4 new themed slopes to make the skiing day more fun for children and their parents. Thus, new figures and ski circuits will be added to the El Mar slope, which had allegorical elements of the seabed, before reaching the mouth of the shark, which is one of the icons of the slope.

Further down, in the beginners' area, will be the Kids Fun Trail, where the youngest skiers will be able to interact with forest and mountain animals, and go down a skills circuit.

In the Montebajo area, the Family Fun Trail will be installed , where families will be able to go down the slopes while avoiding interactive elements, while in Cauchiles there will be a trail with a theme related to Iberian fauna.

The shark of Sierra Nevada, one of the favourite attractions for children

Information on waiting times

This season, Sierra Nevada is implementing a special access control system with which, by means of special people counting cameras , information will be obtained on the approximate waiting times for boarding the ski lifts, with the ultimate aim of providing customers with the best options for accessing or enjoying the ski areas.

The system will be implemented in particularly significant ski lifts in Sierra Nevada: the two gondolas, the Jara, Monachil, Stadium and Laguna chairlifts. The information will be displayed on the screens of the lifts and, alternatively, the most affluent access and ski areas will be recommended.

This screen will provide information about waiting times in Sierra Nevada.

Sports and cultural events

Snowboardcross World Cup (SBX)

Sierra Nevada will host one more season of the Snowboardcross World Cup, one of the most spectacular disciplines of winter sports and where Spain is a world power thanks to the rider from San Sebastian Lucas Egibar and the young Álvaro Romero and Bernat Rivera.

Three Spanish championships

In its traditional commitment to the promotion of snow sports, Sierra Nevada will host some thirty official competitions in all disciplines and for all ages. Among these events, three absolute Spanish championships stand out.

Ultra Sierra Nevada

One of the most important mountain races in Spain reaches its tenth edition. It is a competition that demonstrates the versatility of the ski resort to host competitions of all kinds related to the mountain.

Snow Running

The pioneer mountain race on snowy surfaces in Spain will once again exceed one thousand runners.

Sun and Snow

The electronic music festival of Sierra Nevada reaches its fifth edition, consolidated in its new location: the car park of the Peñones where it has found the perfect place to grow.

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