Freccia nel Cielo
As of this winter, the ski resort of Tofana in Cortina d’Ampezzo has a brand new 10-passenger gondola lift. The LEITNER ropeways installation “Col Druscié” takes passengers to the summit of Col Druscié comfortably and in very little time. The ropeway officially opened on 11 January. It replaces the first section of the old aerial tramway “Freccia nel Cielo”, which connected Cortina d’Ampezzo (1,224 m) with the summit of Cima Tofana, one of the highest peaks in the Dolomites (3,244 m), for 50 years.
Maiden voyage
In the presence of Federico D'Incà (Italian Minister for Parliamentary Relations), Luigivalerio Sant'Andrea (government commissioner for the implementation of the upcoming sports projects) and many guests, the gondola lift went on its maiden voyage on 11 January. This upgrade modernizes the link from Cortina to Col Druscié and the middle station in Colfiere right on time for the upcoming Alpine World Ski Championships 2021 and the Olympic Winter Games 2026. The project also involves a complete overhaul of the valley station to include a large bar, a ski depot and a modern ticket counter alongside new office and accommodation space.
With 47 cabins, a traveling speed of 6 m/s and a transport capacity of 1,800 people per hour, the new system will considerably reduce waiting times. The midway station in Colfiere makes the area more accessible for visitors of the World Cup in March 2020, the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2021 and the Olympic Winter Games in 2026.
The future is now
Mario Vascellari, President of Tofana 2021 Srl, commented: “We did what we promised. Despite the extremely tight schedule and the ongoing poor weather in November, we were able to deliver the installation on time. All thanks to our brilliant team work!”
Under the headline ‘The Future is Now’, the new ropeway was duly celebrated again on Sunday, 12 January. All guests got to travel to the renewed slopes Col Druscié A and B for free and ski to their hearts’ content. Up on the mountain, the existing snow-making system had been upgraded: DEMACLENKO delivered 40 new snow guns, three pumping stations, the software Snowvisual 4.0 and 91 concrete pits with pipelines.
LEITNER ropeways, PRINOTH and DEMACLENKO have also established a strategic alliance with the Fondazione Cortina 2021: the companies will support the foundation as the technical supplier during the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2021.
