The old chairlift has been restored and relocated to the new Encampadana area in the Canillo sector of Grandvalira.
Pal Arinsal officially inaugurated the Port Negre chairlift in Arinsal today in a ceremony held at its base, attended by the consuls of La Massana, Eva Sansa and Roger Fité, the chief consul of Canillo, Jordi Alcobé; the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, Alain Cabanes; and the station's general manager, Josep Marticella. Sansa highlighted that “the change in the station model, combined with the single ski pass, have been two significant milestones that have made us stronger and more competitive and have allowed us to initiate the major project of the skiable union, great news for the snow sports world in the country”. Subsequently, Father Eduard de La Massana continued to bless the new structure, which had been in operation since the beginning of the season.
The new Port Negre chairlift is the highlight of the season for the station, a 6-seater, detachable chairlift from the Doppelmayr brand. The new lift replaces the old fixed 4-seater chairlift and significantly improves skiers' mobility in the area. It is longer than the previous one, as its starting point is lower, reaching an altitude of 2,493 m, making it closer to the cable car connecting to Pal. Specifically, it is accessed just in front of the El Niu restaurant, improving the revitalization of this area. Additionally, the new chairlift is also much faster, with a transport capacity of about 2,400 people per hour, thanks to its 57 vehicles. Josep Marticella emphasized that “it is a next generation lift that has changed the appearance of the station. It has replaced the old Port Negre chairlift and a ski lift, allowing us to improve the mobility of our skiers in a much more sustainable way”.
With the new chairlift, a new 700-meter-long blue slope named El Niu has been created. Both innovations mark the first step towards the future skiable union between the Pal and Arinsal sectors, representing a total investment of 40 million euros. For the 2024-2025 season, the La Massana station will complete the next phase of the connection with a drag lift and red slopes that will already allow skiing from one sector to another. Furthermore, the investment plan in Pal Arinsal envisions that, with the union, the station will have a total of 7 km of skiable terrain, reaching 70 km. Additionally, the creation of new green and blue slopes in the Coll de la Botella area is planned, significantly enhancing this entrance to the station, which will have more services and easier access.
Relocation of the old lift
The old 4-seater chairlift has undergone a thorough review, extending its lifespan, and has been relocated to a newly created area at the Grandvalira station, the new Encampadana area in the Canillo sector. Under the new name of Seig Chairlift, three new red slopes have been traced around it - Seig, La Font, and La Pala - totalling 5 new kilometres of slopes in Grandvalira. In this way, Grandvalira Resorts now has a total of 308 km of slopes spread across the three stations starting from that season.