The Sierra Nevada ski resort has already installed the new cabins of the Borreguiles gondola, which have undergone a comprehensive renovation of seats, polycarbonate glass, screws and safety elements. The remodeled Borreguiles cable car is one of the most relevant innovations that the Granada winter resort will present in the 2024/25 season.
The Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation and Housing and also president of Cetursa, Rocío Díaz, has highlighted the enormous effort that the ski resort faces in terms of continuous modernization between seasons. “In just a few months, this team manages to incorporate fundamental improvements year after year to transform the ski resort,” said the counselor, who stated that, in recent years, it has been noticed “the commitment to consolidate Sierra Nevada as one of the main ski resorts in Southern Europe”, a goal that “is only possible with investments that allow us to incorporate new features each season.”
During the summer, the 80 Borreguiles cabins have been completely dismantled at the factory in France of the multinational cable transport company Leitner. Except for the structure of the vehicles, all their components have been renewed, for a cost of two million. The cabins, which these days are being installed on the lift cable, have capacity for eight people seated and They present an aesthetic similar to the Al Ándalus cable car, which premiered just a year ago and which operates in parallel between the Pradollano urbanization and the Borreguiles ski area. Once installed, the gondola will be subjected to a load test and, after being reviewed by the administrative authority, it will be ready for operation. Simultaneously, the gallery that gives access to the Borreguiles cable car from Pradollano has been renovated with new coating and aesthetic unification of the commercial signage.
Another new feature this season at the lift park is the new boarding mat for the Borreguiles I chairlift, in the beginners' area, a facility demanded by ski schools to facilitate access for novice skiers. With the new boarding, it is not only easier, more agile and comfortable to get into the seats of the Borreguiles I, but a 20% increase in its transport capacity is expected.
The complete renovation of the Stadium chairlift building has also been carried out, unifying the aesthetics of the lift with the rest of the station's mechanical means, with the installation of curtain walls to achieve maximum light inside the lift. It is covered with stone from Sierra Nevada.
Besides, Sierra Nevada incorporates this season 20 new snow cannons (high and low pressure), a good part of which (8) are installed on the Superverde slope, which starts at the top of Borreguiles I and, after descending down the left side of the Beginners' area, ends at the bottom of said lift. This will facilitate – at the beginning of the season – the opening of the Beginners area with a greater ski offer.
The season will also feature new features in the parking lot at Plaza de Andalucía, which will have 43 charging points for electric vehicles on floor -3 (22 kilowatts and 65 kilowatts). This plant has been completely resurfaced, as well as the road ring of the -2 plant.
Likewise, the station will offer 300 new automated ski storage lockers to meet growing demand. Most of these ticket offices are installed in the upper station of the Al Ándalus cable car. The user can rent a locker either for the entire season or per day to store up to four pairs of skis or snowboards, including additional items. (boots, gloves, helmets or canes).
In addition, work is underway to install a fast food restaurant at the upper station of the Al Ándalus cable car, near the exit to the Borreguiles slopes. Work is also underway these days on the comprehensive renovation and modernization of the adapted ski transition room in the upper station of the Al Ándalus cable car. The facility will have all the necessary elements to facilitate the work of the foundations and make the use of ski equipment adapted for users with disabilities more comfortable and agile.
Screens and artificial intelligence
Finally, Sierra Nevada presents as a novelty the installation of new information screens to improve customer communication once they are at the ski resort. Thus, to the twenty screens already existing both in Pradollano and in the different ski areas, new screens are incorporated at the entrances to the parking lot, in Pradollano and in Borreguiles. Of note are the 6 screens with lift access control times in the Borreguiles and Al Ándalus cable cars, and in the Jara, Laguna, Monachil and Stadium chairlifts.
In this line, This season, the station implements a system based on artificial intelligence (AI), which will control queues and waiting times at its lifts and access areas. The innovation of the system lies in its ability to process images captured by cameras and emit data in real time. The AI will analyze the flows of people and generate occupancy reports in the different areas of the station.
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