Where to Ski And Snowboard - Laax unveils Porsche-designed ski lift

Laax unveils Porsche-designed ski lift

25th October 2012, by Abi Butcher

The Lavadinas-Fuorcla Sura lift rotates by 45 degrees

Topping the list of swanky chair lifts for this season is the new Porsche-designed ski lift, which opens in the Swiss resort of Laax this December.

The six-man Lavadinas-Fuorcla Sura chair boasts a top speed of six meters per second and has solar-powered heating, making it one of the world’s first “green” ski lifts — along with the cow manure-powered cable car in Vermont.

The chairs, designed by the car manufacturer Porsche, have a rotating mechanism which allow a 45-degree turn, so guests can enjoy a more relaxed ride, and a fantastic panorama throughout the journey.

Watch a You Tube video of the new Porsche ski lift here.

The Lavadinas-Fuorcla Sura and the Treis Palas-Crap Masegn are the last two ski lifts to be opened as part of Laax’s CHF54million (£36m) “Revolution on the Mountain” programme that began in September 2011. Together, they help to make LAAX the largest connected skiing area in the Grisons.

LAAX now has 29 lifts serving 220km of pistes, four snowparks, Europe’s largest halfpipe and Europe’s first indoor freestyle hall.

The Vorab glacier in Laax is open from this Saturday, 27 November, and the resort opens for the winter season on 22 December.

If posh lifts are your thing, what about trying the VIP cable car in Zermatt, with leather seats, blacked out windows and a sound system. A one-way ride from Zermatt to Trockener Steg or back (about 25 minutes) costs CHF100 (about £67) per gondola, and includes a bottle of champagne. The lift has been in operation since the start of last season.