Adrián Barbón and Delia Losa participated this morning in the official premiere of the installation, which opens to the public tomorrow
Emotion, hugs and even a few tears escaped among those attending a milestone for the winter season and mountain Valgrande-Pajares. At its 68 years of life, the complex premiered one of the largest investments made in it and which aims to bring Pajares to the forefront as far as ski resorts are concerned: the new gondola lift. A lift that has cost almost 10 million euros and that will allow, among other things, to ascend to the upper part of the complex in just over five minutes, when with the old Brañillín, now relocated as an auxiliary chairlift, it took more than 20 minutes. Despite the fact that there is no snow, skiers and tourists will be able to try the cable car from this Thursday, when it is put into service for the general public. Precisely, being able to use a lift out of the ski season and allowing various activities beyond the winter itself was one of the objectives with which the device was built, which was also done in record time: barely five months.
Waited for years by skiers, fans, hoteliers, tourists and the entire sector linked to the world of skiing, the day was very special. The President of the Principality, Adrian Barbonwas in charge this Wednesday of opening an installation which he gave as an example of collaboration between administrations and organizations. Barbón, who assured that he was excited to see the cabins go by while speaking from the complex’s cafeteria, indicated that with the gondola “we wanted to take another step towards the future at a station that is the third oldest in Spain and that has to be the station of the Asturians”. In addition to inviting citizens to visit the station and ride the modern ski lift, the president took advantage of his words to ask society to fight “against defeatism.” “We have gone through problems and experienced all the conversions, but the solutions for Asturias go through believing in ourselves”pointed out Barbón, who invited us to dream big with what the ski lift can contribute, “a first-class tourist resource, not only for mountain lovers, but even for those who do not want to play sports.”
It was not lacking in the memory of all those present, and The President did not overlook it either, the memory of Chus Valgrande, promoter of the winter complex, whose daughter, Gemma, was among the audience and received a tribute from those present in the form of a bouquet of flowers. “It’s a very special day,” she was right to say, excited, the daughter of Jesús Suárez Valgrande. A man of whom Barbón said “yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of his death. And if we owe this station to someone, it was him, who was a visionary and who bet on it.”
Also present at the event was the Minister of Culture, Berta Piñán, whose department, together with the General Directorate for Sport headed by Aida Nuño, was in charge of directing the construction of the gondola lift. “The station becomes an economic engine for the region of Caudal and the Central Mountain and an attraction for all of Asturias and the Cantabrian Mountains”, assured Piñán, who also detailed the work that was carried out in this first phase of the remodeling of Pajares. He explained that there are still some auctions to be given, such as the construction of a ramp to make the lift accessible to people with reduced mobility, or to finish the repair of the artificial snow systems damaged during the construction of the equipment.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Carlos Paniceres, was another of the people who spoke during the inauguration ceremony of the cable car. As he explained, the Chamber of Commerce itself produced “a report on the impact of Pajares for Asturias and for Lena, and as a result of that study the project could be carried out.” Paniceres, who took the opportunity to request public-private collaboration as has occurred with this project, also praised the possibilities that open up to the winter season with the arrival of High Speed: “With the AVE, Going from Chamartín to skiing in Pajares will be possible in three hours,” he added.
Second stage
The mayor of Lena, Gemma Álvarez, was also very pleased. “Today we see the completion of a much-needed work for Lena and for the north of Spain,” said the councilor, who thanked the commitment to the Principality station and the Chamber of Commerce. In addition, she asked that the second phase of the plan be started now.
From the Government Delegation, Delia Losa stressed that a dream of many people was fulfilled. “Thanks to the impulse of Barbón and Pedro Sánchez, we have managed to unlock the mining funds and 59 projects have been signed for 92.8 million,” said Losa, who said that for this reason “We are inaugurating a state-of-the-art gondola that allows us to rub shoulders with the Alps and the Pyrenees”. The head of the central government in Asturias was visibly moved and wanted to remember each and every one of the directors of the winter complex: “I know how hard it is and I know that it has not been an easy road, so I congratulate you all,” he said she. Directors who were represented, among others, by both the current one, Javier Martínez, and his predecessor, Felipe García Pertierra. Both in the background, but to whom his happy face betrayed to see that the complex that caused so many headaches now has reason to see the future with great optimism.
The representatives of the ski clubs, of the businesses in the area around the resort such as rentals or catering services… They all agreed that the new cable car “is going to be a fundamental leg”. “Now we just hope that it snows now,” some pointed out.
Among those present at the complex was one of the most emblematic and important skiers in Asturias: Manuel García-Morán. At 85 years old, this Oviedo was an Olympian in the alpine skiing modality. “And it wouldn’t have been without the times we trained here in Pajares, although there were no ski lifts, you had to walk up”, he remembered. However, he has already been able to test the new cable car: “This is going to be very good for Asturias.” Champion word.