In Hinterglemm, one of the signature lifts on the southern side of the valley is preparing for a major makeover—and above all, to reach higher up the mountain. For winter 2026/27, the historic 1997 Reiterkogelbahn is making way for a new ten-person gondola lift designed with a second section that will carry skiers directly to the summit sector of the mountain. Launched in April, construction is scheduled for completion in November, right in time for the new season of the Skicircus, slated to run from November 27, 2026 to April 4, 2027.
On the trail map, the new uphill axis will be labeled D1 and D1b, and for anyone familiar with Hinterglemm’s daily rhythm, the difference will be felt most of all in the morning. The Reiterkogel serves as one of the primary gateways into the resort’s vast interconnected network: thanks to the extended second section, skiers setting out from this side will be able to ride straight to the upper zone of the mountain without having to interrupt their climb at the elevation where the old lift used to terminate.
From a technical perspective, the resort chose the same Doppelmayr platform already used with success for the 12er KOGEL gondola. Traveling along the 2,111-meter line will be 71 cabins, overcoming a total vertical rise of 669 meters in roughly eight and a half minutes with an uphill capacity of 2,500 passengers per hour.
From the Hinterglemm circuit to the 270 kilometers of the Skicircus
Extending the Reiterkogelbahn makes the Hinterglemm circuit—the resort’s recommended route linking the slopes of the Reiterkogel, Hochalm, and 12er KOGEL across a mix of blue and red runs—even smoother. Arriving directly at the summit on a single lift lets skiers immediately choose whether to stay and lap the upper slopes or glide across toward the neighboring mountains.
This area also plays a key role for skiers looking for gentle, progressive gradients on which to build confidence on open terrain. In the nearby Rosswald sector, for instance, trail number 73 served by the Rosswald 6er chairlift is a classic favorite for progressing skiers, traditionally reached by riding up the Reiterkogelbahn and continuing on the Hasenauer 8er—a sequence of lifts that shows just how crucial the first morning ride is in distributing skier traffic toward terrain suited to every ability level.
Zooming out to the entire Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, the new gondola fits into a ski circuit spanning 270 kilometers of slopes—broken down into 140 kilometers of blue, 112 of red, and 18 of black runs—where skiers can travel for hours from valley to valley or spend a full day exploring a single mountain face. Nor are non-skiers forgotten: starting right from the Reiterkogel is the 3.2-kilometer sledding run that winds back down to the center of Hinterglemm, confirming the new gondola as a centerpiece of winter life in the village.
No comments yet