The first significant improvement discussed was the replacement of the Shadow Basin lift. The fixed-grip quad will be replaced by a high-speed six-pack chairlift, which will be happening in 2024. The top terminal of the new lift will go further up the hill and will be located at the top of the Alta Chutes.
The proposed future expansion is onto the backside of The Remarkables, which is called The Doolans. Stuff reports that the terrain will be accessed from the Curvey Basin Chairlift via a tunnel. The tunnel will be skiable and will stretch 230 meters(over 750 feet). This tunnel will be wide enough for a groomer, meaning it won’t be a lift tunnel like Snowbird’s tunnel(serviced by a magic carpet). It will be ski through, which is common at numerous ski resorts across Europe. The reason for the tunnel is that it is the most environmentally stable way of conducting the expansion. A chairlift is also being considered, but they want to do a tunnel due to it having a lesser impact on the nearby environment.
The expansion would bring the terrain footprint from 385 hectares(around 950 acres) to 900ha(over 2220 acres). This terrain would be serviced by a 1.4 km (nearly 4600 foot) chairlift. Infrastructure would also be added, including “snowmaking, power, water and wastewater and amenities buildings.” Not much detail has been given yet as to what the type of terrain will be, but there is still negation and feedback that needs to be done before construction can begin. The interview from The Platform NZ is below.
Image/Video Credits: The Remarkables, NZSki/Stuff, The Platform NZ