The 30 year old “Gefrorene Wand 3a” double chair lift with two glacier support towers on the Hintertux Glacier has been replaced by the world’s first 10 EUB Gefrorene Wand lifts with heated seating from the Doppelmayr Company.

As of November 2008 the Gletscherbus 1 is in operation at the Hintertux Glacier. 3281 persons per hour are transported by the glacierbus 1 to the snow-sure pistes of the Hintertux Glacier. In only 5.25 minutes one glides from Hintertux (1,500 m above sea level) to the Sommerbergalm (2,100 m) from where Austria’s most attractive and impressive all year round ski region can be discovered.

The first bi-cable cablecar in the eastern Alps
The Gletscherbus 2 has been transporting our guests from the Sommerbergalm to the Tuxer Fernerhaus since 1996. The travel time is only six minutes, and you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view underway, fully protected from the wind and weather. Zillertaler Gletcherbahn developed this Funitel, the first in the eastern Alps, in 1995 in collaboration with Doppelmayr. Since then, the Gletscherbus 2 has more than proved its worth!

• Lower terminal: 2,100 m
  
• Upper terminal: 2,660 m
  
• Capacity: 3,200 persons/hour
  

With the Gletscherbus 3, which is surely the most spectacular cablecar in the Alps as well as the highest bi-cable cable car in the world, you can now travel from the Tuxer Fernerhaus directly to the Frozen Wall in just five minutes. The extreme geographic situation of the Gletscherbus 3, with its lower terminal at 2,660 m and its upper terminal at 3,250 m, formed a special challenge to the engineers, builders and fitters. This lift, which is our showpiece, has been in operation since 31 December 2000. Major revision works took place for this reason during May and June 2012. Both lift drives were removed and sent back to the manufacturers and all 4 motors were completely overhauled. The clamping cylinder was removed and replaced and the disc bearings at the base station of the lifts have been renewed.

Ever since the 23rd December 2001, the “150-er Tux” cable car has connected the Rastkogel/Tux ski area with the slopes at Penken/Mayrhofen, thereby creating the largest inter-linked ski area in the Zillertal Valley: „Ski & Glacier world Zillertal 3000“. 2 cabins with a maximum capacity of 150 persons each and a top speed of 12 m/s whisk skiers in only 5 minutes to a whole new dimension of winter fun.

What conditions are needed to create artificial snow?

Essential factors: Wet-bulb temperature, temperature, humidity
Additional factors: Air pressure, water pressure, water temperature, drop height

„To define, the wet-bulb temperature is the temperature a parcel of air would have when water is evaporated into it at a constant pressure level until saturation. The enthalpy of evaporation process thereby deprives it of air." Simplified: More water can evaporate at lower humidity. The energy required is extracted from the ambient air and leads to cooling – thus enabling artificial snow to be created at lower humidity levels and at warmer temperatures.

Winter Snow Making:

Snow making facilities are used on the downhill run from the Tuxer Fernerhaus to Sommerberg, the entire Sommerberg ski area and the “Schwarze Pfanne” downhill run to the valley. 246 lances (York Co.) | 246 snow towers | ca. 640 valves in the towers on the slopes regulate the snowmaking | max. production quantity by a York Rubis lance at water pressure of 50 bar: 13,300 litres of water per hour yield ca. 33 m³ of snow per hour.

Glacier Snow Making:

Snow making facilities are used from the top station of the glacierbus 3 lifts down to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. 26 FM | snow making towers (with 2 lances each) | 7 FM lances | 2 Sufag fan guns | max. production quantity by a FM tower at water pressure of 60 bar: 34,200 litres of water per hour yield ca. 85 m³ of snow per hour.

Depending on the conditions and type of snow making machinery, between 40 and 120 canons can be in operation simultaneously. The system can be automatically adjusted when there is only the slightest change in weather conditions (e.g. wind) and switched to alternative snow canons.

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3 main pumping stations

• PST Isse (supplies the PST Tuxerferner and winter resort snow making facilities)
  
• PST Tuxerjoch (supplies the PST Tuxerferner and winter resort snow making facilities)
  
• PST Tuxer Fernerhaus (supplies the glacier snow making facilities)
  

1 fill pumping station (Kunerbach)

To refill the reservoirs from Kunerbach.
The majority of water needed is created during the spring thaw and is stored in the 2 reservoirs without necessitating the use of pumping mechanisms. The melt water is taken from an area close to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. Likewise, the ponds are filled surplus supplies of natural spring water. The Tuxer Fernerhaus Restaurant drinking water supply is controlled using the snow making facilities, but flows through its’ own designated pipe system.

Pumping Station Power Output

• PST Isse: ca. 290 m³/h with max. 32 bar
  
• PST Tuxerjoch: ca. 860 m³/h with max. 65 bar
  
• PST Tuxer Fernerhaus: ca. 580 m³/h with max. 72 bar or 120 bar at high pressure
  
• Total required for winter resort snow making facilities: 1150 m³/h. (= 1,150,000 litres per hour)
  

Power Supply

• PST Isse: the PST is powered via a 25 kV power line (25,000 volts) with its’ own substation
  
• PST Tuxer Joch: the PST is powered via a 25 kV power line (25,000 volts) with its’ own substation
  
• PST Tuxer Fernerhaus: the PST is powered via a 25 kV power line (25,000 volts) via 2 transformers of 1.6 KVA each
  
• The maximum power consumption at full operation is approximately 7mW (7000 kW)
  

Hintertux Glacier Snow Making Systems

• begins mid June and takes around 3 months 
  
• the entire system is checked for leaks and proper functioning 
  
• defective components are either repaired or replaced (valves, pumps, regulators...) 
  
• ongoing modernisation and modifications are made to the system to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption
  
• water tanks are cleaned (drinking water quality must be guaranteed) 
  
• snowmaking reservoirs are made secure and fenced off 
  
• piste areas are cleared and cultivated 
  
• lances are set up around mid September, put into operation and the system is tested