Mayrhofen’s Finest:
The Brand New Penkenbahn 3S Gondola Lift
Since the 1970s, Mayrhofen has been one of the most popular resorts in the Alps for British tourists with its thriving après scene and pistes that stretch across the Ziller valley, meaning visitors can not only enjoy the scenery from the local mountain, but can also travel to Hochfügen, Kaltenbach, Zell Am Ziller, Gerlos and the Hintertux Glacier.
In 2013, the Mayrhofner Bergbahnen – the company that owns the famous Penkenbahn which takes you from 630m at resort level to 1790m at the summit – celebrated their 60th anniversary. Needless to say, the ageing lift systems have struggled to cope with the demand to get skiers and snowboarders up the mountain as the amount of people travelling into resort has increased; skiing at Christmas, New Years and other peak holiday times meant that the wait for the main Penken gondola up onto the mountain could sometimes be rather lengthy in comparison with the more modern lifts elsewhere in the ski area.
In the summer of 2015, Mayrhofen’s main gondola underwent a major facelift, as plans for the Penkenbahn 3S Gondola lift, brand new for Winter 15/16, were passed and construction began. This state of the art lift promised shorter waiting times and a swift and convenient ride to the summit station in just 8.2 minutes. With 24 seats per gondola, each with WLAN access and ski hangers, the 3S is capable of holding a transport capacity of 3840 passengers per hour, a significant increase on the numbers taken up by previous models.
On the 20th of December 2015, the first lifts up to the Mayrhofen ski area were up and running. The Inghams team were privileged enough to be on one of the first lifts up the mountain and experience the speed and efficiency of a lift we once dreaded (sorry to say it, but we did!) every morning on previous seasons. The size and design of each gondola outshines the sardine cans of the old model; fitted with a glass window from top to bottom that curves around each car provides passengers with beautiful, panoramic views across the valley on the journey to the summit. The time spent admiring the views means that it’s not long until you reach the ski area, and a mere 8.2 minutes to the top encourages more time skiing the fantastic runs on the mountain.
The recent developments in and around the town have not masked Mayrhofen’s traditional Tyrolean architecture; instead, the resort has maintained the features that it is most well known for in the Ziller valley, alongside keeping up to date with the increasing tourism coming into Mayrhofen.
The new Penken 3S Gondola Lift is just the beginning of a new era of mobility and developments in Mayrhofen. Not only have the bus systems around the town improved, but sustainability and snow management – something that the Bergbahnen pride themselves on – have been heavily focused upon, in the towns continuing efforts to reduce costs and utilise resources as efficiently and environmentally friendly as possible, whilst keeping the slopes in prime condition for the winter seasons.
The Inghams team are excited and waiting in anticipation to see what the future holds for Mayrhofen, a resort that is developing year on year and capturing the hearts of every person that travels into the Ziller Valley, not to mention each and every one of us!
Blog by Hannah Crellin, Inghams Resort Representative in Mayrhofen.
For more information on the construction of the Penkenbahn 3S:
http://www.mayrhofner-bergbahnen.com/en/insights/construction-report-penkenbahn