Sierra Nevada has put into operation the new El Puente II chairlift, the first of the two new ski lifts installed at the base of Loma Dílar. This chairlift began operating during the Snowboard Cross World Cup and is primarily intended for training and competition.
The new chairlift will benefit slopes such as Víbora, Montebajo, Villén, and El Puente in Loma de Dílar. The Puente I, located at a lower elevation, will be operational soon when snow conditions permit.
In this area, Sierra Nevada and the Andalusian Winter Sports Federation have created a competition and training area for FADI teams, which will have preference but not exclusivity in accessing the double chairlift.
Transferring much of the training and competition to the new ski lifts will help alleviate congestion at the Monachil chairlift and the central area of Loma de Dílar, where competition teams and tourist skiers currently mix.
Additionally, it will allow Andalusian racers to increase the number of descents per training day, bringing them closer to European training and competition standards.
The overall project has a cost of 5 million euros, of which 2.5 million correspond to the Andalusian Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which subsidized the project to support clubs and the 3,000 FADI athletes, while the remaining 2.5 million is covered by Cetursa.
The El Puente II chairlift has a length of 640 meters, features 9 towers and 108 chairs, has a capacity to transport 605 people per hour, reaches a speed of 2 meters per second, and has a travel time of 5.2 minutes.