Lift companies across the Alps have been busy this Summer investing in new lifts and improvements. Below is a round-up of our findings:

AUSTRIA

St Anton: At long last, the Rendl ski area is to get a new eight-seater gondola which brings the departure point close to the village entrance by the bus terminus. There will be a new red run with a bridge to bring you back to the base station.

Zurs: a six-seater with heated seats will replace the old two-seater Muggengrat chair lift.

Saalbach-Hinterlgemm: With at least 3 new fast chairlifts (2 with heated seats and covers) planned for this winter, the lift company here are now proudly boasting they are the best area in the world for fast lifts.

Elsewhere, there are new lifts at Ellmau, Schlamding and Zell am See.

FRANCE

Courchevel: The old Roc Mugnier chairlift will be replaced with a six-seater providing a much swifter link to Courchevel 1650 from 1850. The Cospilot draglift has been extended to provide more ski-in/ski-out options in this area.

Meribel replaces the old slow Golf chair from Meribel Village to the Altiport with a new four-seater.

Elsewhere in the Trois Vallees, there is a new six-seater chair for Les Menuires, a new lift back from Orelle as well as new or upgraded snowmaking facilities in several areas including down to Le Praz.

Whilst no new lifts are planned for Val d’Isere, they can boast a state-of-the-art new Sports Centre with large pool, family pool, plunge pool, hammams, saunas, Jacuzzis as well as squash courts, gym, fitness centre and climbing wall.

Alpe d’Huez is replacing part of the Marmottes gondola in the Bergers area with a new six-seater covered chairlift.

Les Arcs is remodelling two pistes – Arandelieres and Aiguille Rouge – as well as replacing the Arpette chairlift with a six-seater. Over in La Plagne there is a new six-seater at Plagne Soleil.

ITALY

Cervinia: A new covered chair – Pancheron – will increase the skiable terrain in the Cretaz area of the resort whilst replacing two old, slow chairlifts.

New lifts in the Dolomites include a six-seater above San Cassiano as well as a replacement of one of the few remaining single chairlifts (Bullaccia on Alpe di Siusi) in Selva.

SWITZERLAND

Murren makes a major investment for this winter with the upgrading of the Winteregg-Maulerhubel chairlift to a high speed quad as well as a new double chairlift from Allmiboden to Allmendhubel.

Over in Wengen, there is a new six-seater from Arvengarten to the Eigergletscher.

Zermatt continues its investment with an extension of the Matterhorn Express. This new eight-seater gondola will take skiers direct from Schwarzsee to Trockener Steg in just nine minutes. When departing from the village, there will now be direct access in 25 minutes without having to change. Escalators are being installed at Furgg as well as new access pistes. Work on the terrain of the Berter piste from Grunsee to Findeln along with snow-making will improve this much-needed link and divert the crowds away from the queues at Gant.

Whilst Crans Montana does not have any new lifts, the Chetzeron restaurant has been totally rebuilt and is expected to open as a hotel too.

P.S. Non-smoking skiers might be pleased to learn that smoking in bars & restaurants has finally been outlawed in Switzerland. If you are a smoker, head for Engelberg, where the canton of Obwalden voted against the ban.