The Vallter 2000 cable car project in Catalonia’s Eastern Pyrenees
By Antoine Glory

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya or FGC, Catalonia’s public railway company, is spearheading the planning of a new infrastructure, which could transport up to two thousand people per hour within the Parc Natural de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser, home to the Vallter ski resort. The project is detailed in a document where FGC acknowledges that the current Vallter model is unsustainable, both economically and environmentally.
This year, the resort closed its winter season prematurely on March 22 as artificial snow production could not withstand the high March temperatures. According to the climate change report in Catalonia, the use of snow guns is only viable if temperature increases remain below 2°C. Consequently, the scientific community recommends seeking alternatives by deseasonalising and diversifying tourism, in order to turn ski resorts into year-round mountain resorts.
As it nears its fiftieth anniversary, Vallter faces the most challenging period in its history as a ski resort. While its business model relies on snow, its current operations are unsustainable both economically and environmentally. The resort incurs an average economic deficit of 300,000 euros in a ‘normal’ year, which can rise to 1 million euros in years without snow. The main shareholder, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), covers this deficit to keep the valley’s tourism economy afloat.
FGC’s vision for the future involves transforming the resort into a permanent centre for mountain activities, maintaining its sporty and playful spirit while ensuring complete sustainability. Vallter aims to become a year-round destination for sports and active leisure. This project is known as ‘Vallter 365’.
The new project proposes removing the four current lifts, which are the backbone of the resort, and replacing them with a single Doppelmayr 10-MGD model gondola. This gondola will have two terminals (one at 1,500 m and the other at 2,535 m) and two intermediate stops (one at 1,970 m and the other at 2,165 m). From the last stop at 2,165 m, the gondola will take a new route westward as a combined lift (telemix or telecombi), functioning as a hybrid 6-seater chairlift in winter and a gondola lift in summer, up to the 2,535 m hill, which will be the upper and final terminus of the new lift. The addition of a cafeteria and a marmot viewpoint will enhance the experience. According to FGC, the panoramic trip’s attractiveness will be a permanent incentive. The new ski lift is expected to operate almost year-round, and the new gondola will increase visitor capacity by at least 200 people per hour.

If the document is definitively approved, and after surpassing the relevant procedures already at a very advanced stage and validated by various bodies, the project could become a reality in 2027. The overall budget for the Vallter 365 project amounts to 41 million euros.
The Stop Winter Olympics 2030 platform argues that this project underscores the lack of a clear roadmap for the Pyrenees and mountain regions by the government of Catalonia and local administrations, as well as that the sole focus is on economic dynamisation through a tourist monoculture model. The platform believes this is another instance of ‘greenwashing,’ where the project is labelled as sustainable but ultimately has a negative impact on the natural park.
According to Santi Pocino, vice-president of MW Catalonia, while the idea of eliminating car access to the station seems sensible, there are concerns and risks associated with establishing a viewpoint at 2,535 meters above sea level. This viewpoint would be served by a mega cable car capable of transporting 16,000 visitors a day, situated close to the cross-border ridge that connects the Parc Natural de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser to the highly sensitive Py, Mantet, and Eyne Nature Reserves.
(Edited by GSV)