New ski lifts in Bláfjöll

Waiting for ski lifts in Bláfjöll, the most popular skiing area in the vicinity of Reykjavik, should now be a thing of the past thanks to two new lifts, Drottningin (The Queen) and Gosinn (The Jack), that have been opened at the ski area.  These are two new 4-person chairlifts, each with the transport capacity of 2400 people per hour.  The new Gosi is for example 450 meters long and it only takes a little over one minute to ride with it to the top.

The previous ski lifts were worn out and so old that it was getting difficult to obtain spare parts for them.  Due to this the old Gosi has not been in use since 2018 and now both the old Gosi and the old Drottning has been shut down and the new lifts taken over.

The plan was for the Gosi to be opened in November and the Drottning a year later but, because of favourable weather conditions and the excellent cooperation of everyone involved in the project, it was possible to open both lifts before the end of 2022.  Not only was the project completed ahead of schedule but also within the estimated cost.

Nevertheless, the renovations in Bláfjöll are not quite finished yet, because the next thing on the agenda is to set up systems for snow production, which is scheduled to be ready for use in the fall of 2023.

VSO is responsible for:

• Project management.
• Licence applications, consultations with stakeholders and authorities.
• Tender materials for ski lifts and snow production systems.
• Project supervision during the construction.
• Financial control and handling of construction contracts.

Project period: 2015-2023.

Client:  Skíðasvæði höfuðborgarsvæðisins (Reykjavik Capital Area Ski Areas).