News for the 2015 / 2016 Ski Season
The season opened on 28 November 2015.
Sierra Nevada has more than 50 races scheduled for this season, including a World Cup event - the Freestyle Aerials - in February 2016 (see below for more details). This event will be hosted for the first time ever in Sierra Nevada, specifically in Pradollano, along with music and entertainment aimed at a young audience. This will be the last trial before the Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships, scheduled for March 2017.
AL-ANDALUS GONDOLA LIFT (PRADOLLANO)
This lift, the most-used and most emblematic of the Sierra Nevada, has been completely renovated at a cost of two million euros, and is now both faster and more comfortable. Connecting Pradollano residential area with Borreguiles slopes, the lift's first rehaul since it started operating 25 years ago offers easier access to cabins, new windows and benches, and improved cabin suspension for a smoother ride.
NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR SIERRA NEVADA CLUB CARD
Now skiers, snowboarders and visitors can pay for their Sierra Nevada Club card using their mobile phone, thanks to a new fast purchase system which stores bank card details with a PIN facility for added security.
PERMANENT SKI CROSS SLOPE IN SULAYR TERRAIN PARK
This season there will be a permanent ski-snowboard cross area in Sulayr Terrain Park. Previously, the slope was only used for official competitions with occasional limited public use.
The ski-snowboard cross area will be located between sector 3 of Sulayr Terrain Park and the Loma de Dílar slope, as designed for the 2013 Snowboard and Freestyle Ski World Cup finals and the Winter University Games of 2015.
The new area, which has slopes and snow jumps, will be 750m long. Its inclusion in the Sierra Nevada slopes map, next to a new trail in the Borreguiles area (Chotacabras run, blue level, 260m), will increase the total skiable length of the resort to 106.8km.
The four sectors of Loma de Dilar will be easier to access for snow park users this season, as there are no international competitions in the area this season.
FREESTYLE SKI WORLD CUP AERIALS
The Aerials competition, a spectacular acrobatic jumps discipline which forms part of the Freestyle Ski World Cup, will take place in the Crescendo area adjacent to Pradollano, giving this competition an unmistakeably urban air.
Requiring three different-sized kickers for executing jumps of up to 12m, including triple jumps, the Aerials are the last Sierra Nevada event before the Snowboard and Freestyle Ski World Championships of March 2017.
The Aerials World Cup in Sierra Nevada will take place on Saturday 27 February at night with artificial lighting in the Crescendo area, the final part of El Águila slope that ends in Pradollano square.
OVER 50 COMPETITIONS THIS SEASON
In addition to this international competition, another 50 events will take place in Sierra Nevada during the 2015/16 season - 15 national and 40 regional championships.
To facilitate and improve training and competitions, Sierra Nevada has reorganised the slopes used for these purposes. Starting this season, children aged between 5 and 12 will have a new exclusive zone for training at the top of the Copa del Mundo (World Cup) slope, in the Cauchiles/Parador area, next to Virgen de las Nieves chairlift, where shelters will be installed, where trainers can store their gear and children can take refuge in bad weather.
NEW FIS SNOW KIDZ CIRCUIT - CHILDREN AGED 8-11
Four Alpine skiing and two freestyle skiing events will be integrated into the KIS Snow Kidz Circuit, for children aged 8-11 years, which tests gear and other facilities for the International Ski Federation. Alpine skiing events will take place on the new Copa del Mundo slope, and the two freestyle skiing events in the Sulayr Snowpark.
