A New Chairlift in Iceland

Iceland’s largest ski area of Bláfjöll, located only 30km from capital Reykjavik, is currently working on the construction of a new chairlift due to open next winter, it’s first for nearly two decades.

Iceland has about a dozen small ski areas, most with just a few surface lifts.  Bláfjöll offers about 15km of slopes served by 15 lifts, again most of them drags but it does has two existing double chairlifts and one quad chairlift.  The new chairlift, a Doppelmayr built fixed-grip quad, will operate in the south of the ski area.

The resort says it is also investing in the resort’s first snowmaking system.

Bláfjöll ended their season in mid-May saying they only managed to open for 55 days due to bad weather and the pandemic limiting operations.

It is run jointly with another ski area, Skálafell, and the two centres had combined business of 69,000 guests last winter, a resort statement says, adding “…which has to be considered good considering how the weather was.”

After the new chairlift at Bláfjöll next winter the resort operator say they plan another for sister-resort Skálafell in 2024.  It has one existing double chairlift dating back to 1982.