This season's news in Hafjell
HAFJELL, Hafjell is investing heavily ahead of the winter season 2024/25 with a number of exciting news and improvements. The goal is to offer an even better skiing experience for families, ski enthusiasts and beginners.
After the success of the new Vidsyn Express last year, investments to develop the destination continue. The goal is to make Hafjell a favorite among families and a first-class ski destination. "We are proud of the investments we are making in Hafjell to improve the experience for our guests. It is about developing a safe and attractive ski resort that embraces all skill levels. We have made extensive improvements to trails, infrastructure and experiences to give our guests the best possible experience," says Jo Mork, general manager of Hafjell.
1. New trail connections and extensions
One of the big news this season is the new, easy descent around Marsteinschussen. The new trail provides a clear and family-friendly route that makes it easier for everyone to explore the area around Vidsyn Ekspressen. This improvement enables 864 meters of altitude with continuous blue and green skiing, which is unique to Hafjell. In addition, the Top Trail has been connected to Snarvegen, which provides a varied skiing experience with easy access to several of Hafjell's trails.
"We are very excited about this investment," says Kim Gottlib, general manager of Hafjell Ski School. "The new trail along Vidsyn Ekspressen is a great improvement. This creates new opportunities in teaching and we can facilitate for an even broader target group. It will be a fantastic course for coaching, and we can proudly bring our guests, at all levels, in all parts of the facility."
2. New: Speed Check – Test your speed in a safe and fun way!
As part of Hafjell's investment in safety and skiing pleasure, we are launching a new attraction this year – Speed Check. Here, our guests can test their speed in a secure, fenced area and gain a better understanding of the impact of speed on skiing. In collaboration with Scott and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, we have developed a unique installation where guests can also see their effective weight in the event of an abrupt stop. This helps to raise awareness of the importance of the right safety equipment and adaptation of speed to the conditions.
"Speed Check is a great way to combine fun and safety. We want to help more guests choose the right safety equipment and get a better understanding of how speed affects the risk on the slopes," says Ole Kristian Rønningen from Ramo, who is a distributor of safety equipment and sports equipment from Scott.
With this initiative, we want to raise awareness of safety on the slopes, while providing our guests with a fun and educational experience.
3. Energy-efficient measures for a better winter experience
Hafjell has made significant improvements in sustainable snow production in recent years, before the season 24-25 this is lifted another notch. Through further automation of the snow production plant, we can now utilize the freezing temperatures even more efficiently and reduce energy consumption when snowmaking. This allows us to produce snow faster and with less environmental impact, which contributes to a more sustainable operation of the destination.
In addition, we have upgraded the floodlight in Kjusbakken with energy-efficient light sources that provide better lighting and lower energy consumption. This ensures an optimal skiing experience in the evening and in demanding weather conditions, while reducing our environmental footprint.
Read more about how we produce snow.
4. New ski lockers for a better guest experience
Hafjell is now investing in 60 new ski lockers in the gondola basement, which increases the capacity to a total of 231 ski lockers for short and long-term rental. This measure is especially important for guests staying at hotels in Øyer and Lillehammer, as it gives them the opportunity to store their ski equipment safely and securely close to the slopes. With this expansion, we want to make it easier and more convenient for our guests to have a smooth skiing experience, without having to transport their equipment back and forth between the slopes and the accommodation.
"The new ski lockers will definitely contribute to a better guest experience. When the ski equipment can be stored safely and easily at the gondola, our guests have more time to enjoy skiing and all the other experiences Hafjell has to offer," says Camilla Trulsen, Head of Hospitality at Alpinco.
A family-friendly focus
With a strong focus on family friendliness, Hafjell has expanded the capacity of the shelter pavilion, made the trails more accessible and arranged for the whole family to have a safe and fun day on the slopes. Junior Ski Patrol will be one of the many new activities for children, where they can experience what it is like to be part of the ski patrol and learn about safety on the slopes.
"We look forward to a fantastic season where both new and old guests will experience the great improvements we have made. The goal is to be a destination that provides first-class skiing for everyone," concludes Jo Mork.
Espen Rønning, Marketing Manager at Alpinco, adds: "We are now putting behind us three seasons in a row with an all-time high. These investments give us confidence in the future of continued growth and good guest flow in the destination. It is clear that the investment in Hafjell is bearing fruit, and we look forward to welcoming even more people to our slopes."
