Heiligwasser lift: “Nacht-Aus” on the 356.24 m long lift is not only applauded
Skiing on the Patscherkofel started the winter season on December 17, 2022. On 10/17 was to be read on the railway’s homepage: “Every Tuesday and Thursday from 4.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. there is evening skiing on the Patscherkofel. The illuminated slopes no. 8 and 9 are located directly at the valley station and can be reached with the Heiligwasser lift.” At the same time, however, the public was informed that evening skiing will not take place as part of the energy saving measures. However, the savings potential should be very clear.
INNSBRUCK. Due to the energy crisis, the Patscherkofelbahn supervisory board with Managing Director Adrian Egger recommended that night skiing on the 356.24 m long Heiligwasser lift should be avoided. The city of Innsbruck will comply with this recommendation. The “Night-Off” does not only cause applause. The Heiligwasser lift was put into operation as a tow lift in 2007. Difference in altitude 115 m, height of mountain station 1,125 m, transport capacity 1,200 people/hour, travel time approx. 2 minutes. Both an easy and a moderately difficult practice slope run from the mountain station back to the valley station.
irritations
In 2017, the city of Innsbruck stated, among other things: “In winter, the local mountain offers everything a winter sports enthusiast’s heart desires. After the redesign, one of the attractions on the natural mountain is an eight-kilometer-long toboggan run, making it one of the longest toboggan runs in Tyrol. The children’s area and the practice lifts and the Heiligwasser meadow for sports clubs are other offers that make the local mountain attractive for families.” Clubs in particular are irritated by the current end of “night skiing”. The clubs are thus missing out on important time for training sessions and especially preparations. Last season, SV Aldrans, SC Amras, ITG or the ASCI Akademischer Schiclub Innsbruck the ITG used the possibility of training on the illuminated slope.
Information from the city politics in the political ticker of the district newspapers Innsbruck
GR application
The clubs hope for a detailed statement on the planned energy saving measures by the Patscherkofelbahnen. The plans for the Patscherkofelbahn will also be a topic of discussion in the municipal council, GR Gerald Depaoli will submit a motion on the subject. “The financial savings potential is also insignificant, which can be estimated at around 12,000 euros for the entire winter season,” Depaoli is convinced. “It is also not the case that the city of Innsbruck complied with the relevant recommendation of the Patscherkofelbahn supervisory board, but it was solely Georg Willi who, going it alone politically, did not involve the sports committee, the city senate or the municipal council in a decision.
If Georg Willi had at least involved the sports committee in this decision, then he would also have found out that night skiing is not a public run, but a sports offer for ski clubs, children and young people who train on the slope”,
continues Depaoli.
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