The Austrian ski areas of Kal and Matrei have merged into the largest ski resort in East Tyrol, the resort's operators announced.
Called the Grossglockner Resort Kals/Matrei, it is scheduled to open on December 12 and has 110 kilometres of pistes, 90 per cent of which can be covered with artificial snow.
The resort was created by constructing two ski lifts up the 2,621-metre-high Cimaross mountain, which lies between Kals and Matrei. A chair lift from Matrei, which opened last winter, meets a brand-new, eight-seater gondola lift that ascends the mountain in two stages from Kals. The new summit station and restaurant, which link the two ski regions, lie 2,405 metres above sea level.
In all, the resort has seven chair lifts, seven tow lifts and two gondola lifts. Skiing is planned until April 19, 2009. The resort affords views of 63 peaks of at least 3,000 metres, including Austria's highest, the Grossglockner, which is 3,798 metres above sea level.
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