Folgarida’s Brenzi upgrade targets smoother skiing—and safer crossings

A new six-seat chairlift, a substantially widened run and redesigned links at Malghet Aut are planned for winter 2026/27. The changes promise more capacity and clearer routes through a busy junction in the Folgarida–Marilleva ski area.

Folgarida is preparing a significant overhaul at Malghet Aut, where the old Brenzi chairlift is due to give way to a six-seat lift for the 2026/27 season. The works go beyond replacing ageing equipment: they include a wider Brenzi piste, new connections between runs, an illuminated underpass and upgraded snowmaking. Together, the changes are meant to improve skier circulation at a hub serving the wider ski area linked with Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo.

The new detachable chairlift is planned to carry 3,000 people an hour, up from 1,200 on the two-seat lift installed in 1984. Its roughly 700-metre journey should take a little over two minutes. Protective bubbles and heated seats are also specified. The increased capacity could reduce queues and give skiers another route through the area, although the benefit will depend on how well lift capacity is matched by the slopes and connections around it.

The Brenzi run is being widened from an average of about 30 metres to more than 50 metres. The redesign also aims to ease some cross-slopes, while retaining terrain suitable for regional and national competitions. A new 159-metre connection from the Spolverino piste toward the ski-school area is intended to let skiers reach the new lift without crossing the beginner zone.

Safety and traffic separation are central to the Malghet Aut changes. The Malghet Aut-SX drag lift is to be extended, and an illuminated underpass will separate traffic where the Brenzi piste and the SkiWeg Collegamento–Malghet Aut route currently intersect. The aim is to reduce awkward crossings and make routes more legible for skiers moving between the main pistes and the learning area.

A new programmed snowmaking system is planned along the Brenzi piste and its link toward the ski-school area. The project information says it will draw on the Alpe Daolasa reservoir, which has a stated capacity of 180,000 cubic metres. That infrastructure can support piste preparation when temperatures allow, but it cannot guarantee suitable snow conditions in every spell of winter weather. Research on Alpine ski areas points to declining natural snow reliability, with late-season conditions especially exposed; snowmaking is an operational adaptation, not a substitute for cold weather.

The work reflects a broader pattern in resort investment: lift replacement is increasingly bundled with piste engineering, snowmaking and redesign of skier routes. At Malghet Aut, the practical test will be whether those pieces work together—whether the new lift moves visitors efficiently without simply shifting congestion onto the widened run, and whether the new separation of routes makes the area easier to navigate for beginners and families.

The new Brenzi lift and the associated changes are scheduled for the 2026/27 season. The reporting available as of October 20, 2026, did not give a confirmed opening day, so the actual start of service remains to be announced.