Bjornrike
Swedish News
Skistar, Scandinavia's largest operator of ski resorts, has unveiled their new season new for the coming winter – which is indeed already underway at most of their resorts.
On its list of resorts, the company owns the region's most successful resort, Åre, in Sweden, as well as family favourite Vemdalen, both of which are offered to the UK market by tour operator Neilson.
The good news for Swedish ski fans living north of Watford Gap is that the company is introducing a new flight route from Manchester to Östersund on 19th December. This new weekly Sunday service will run for justy over two months to 27th February 2011, and is being introduced following the success of Neilson's London Heathrow to Östersund charter flight.
Once you land in Sweden transfers from Östersund to Åre only takes an hour, with Vemdalen about two hours away.
In the resorts themselves Åre, which hosted the Alpine World Championships in 2007, is investing in its family friendly Björnen area adding several new blur and red runs which take its overall tally up to 105. More snowmaking has been added in the sector which is capable of pumping out 400 cubic metres of snow per hour, and there's an unusual addition these days, a new T Bar lift, a kilometre long.
Vemdalen too is expanding its ski area with a new sector this winter due to open on 26 December. It will offer two kilometers of new runs for all standards including rare new steep runs at the top of the area.
In the neighbouring Björnrike ski area Sweden's biggest, and Scandinavia's fastest lift, the Grizzly Express, a two kilometre long six-seater chair, is currently being built and is also due to open on the 26th December. The resort is also adding a 500m long T bar, new slow and family ski areas and enhanced low-energy snowmaking.