Fortress will re-open for 2005 - 2006 season

**WhiteWolf** · 09-17-2005, 08:43 AM

Yup, its confirmed that fortress will re-open somtime during the 2005, 2006 season. The resort was purchased by Zrinko Amerl and Group with the price not disclosed.

Looks good gang, we can ski fortress by Dec 9th if all works out.

The story is on the main page of the Calgary Herald this morning if you want to read about it....

Fuck'n Eh, I'm real happy about this..

**random** · 09-17-2005, 08:57 AM

WHAT? really? that's awesome!
I'm speechlessly impressed...

any details for those who don't get the Hearld?

**WhiteWolf** · 09-17-2005, 09:19 AM

Yup, here is the article

Mothballed Fortress ski resort sold

Set to reopen this season

Fortress Mountain Ski Resort, once a favourite ski destination for families and snowboarders in Kananaskis Country, has been conditionally sold by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc. and could reopen in less than three months.
The price for the resort about 100 kilometres west of Calgary was not disclosed. The deal is conditional on regulatory approval and on the province agreeing to transfer certain leases for the site, which sits on provincial Crown land.
Calgary-based RCR has agreed to sell the resort, which it closed indefinitely in April 2004, to a group headed by Zrinko Amerl, a local businessman and ski industry veteran.
“Over the years, Fortress has had a special place in the hearts of many Albertans and we plan to put it back there,” Amerl said Friday. “We’ll have it open for this upcoming season,” he added.
The area, with a base elevation of about 7,000 feet, is among the highest in the country, but has a modest skiable vertical of about 335 metres. Before being closed, the area had suffered from declining patronage and escalating costs, including access road maintenance costs, which RCR said made it uneconomical.
“When you’re selling any business, we were looking for what opportunities would work and this was the opportunity that made the most sense,” said RCR spokesman Matt Mosteller. “It’s good for the sport.”
Amerl, a former Fortress general manager, told the Herald his group intends to open the resort Dec. 9.
However, the extended closure will require that the chairlifts and T-bars on site be recertified for new operation, a process expected to take until mid-February, according to information on a new Fortress website, www.skifortress.ca.
The area will use its existing lifts and lodge for this season. He noted the existing lifts had received an extensive overhaul in 2003.
His group’s plans call for at least two of the lifts to be replaced over the next five years, while the lodge is to be extensively renovated over the next 12 months.
Fortress was built in 1967.

**mntlion** · 09-17-2005, 09:52 AM

Dec is a bit hopefull I think, but nice when, and if, it happens.

"open the resort Dec. 9. "

"chairlifts and T-bars on site be recertified for new operation, a process expected to take until mid-February"

and that is assuming that they pass a safty, and if they dont they find parts, workers, money to pay etc, etc, etc.

**Redskea** · 09-17-2005, 10:47 AM

Sweet

I like Fortress.

(now if only they could also buy the Lake...)

**mntlion** · 09-17-2005, 11:20 AM

Just got an email from them, asking about passes

"We plan to launch our pass sale at the end of next week and I will keep you in the loup on this,
Zrinko"

**DougW** · 09-17-2005, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by WhiteWolf

His group’s plans call for at least two of the lifts to be replaced over the next five years, while the lodge is to be extensively renovated over the next 12 months.
Fortress was built in 1967.

Do the lifts but forget about the lodge. Last time I was there it looked alright. All they seem to do was paint and put in most of the light bulbs. Leave the Fortress bugres and fries the way they were.

**Eldo** · 09-17-2005, 06:35 PM

If they (re)build it, will people come?

I, too, love Fortress. Eldereldo and I first skied there the year they reopened to the public in 1973, after the place crashed and burned as "SnowRidge" in the late 1960s. Got my first ever season's pass at Fortress in 1978. (Remind to dig out the pass photo. A real hoot.)

But the sad fact is I only went to Fortress twice in the last three years they were open. Cheap tix couldn't make up for slow lifts and small vertical. If the snow was good in the Rockies, I would rather be doing the backside steeps at Louise or lapping The Dive at Sunshine. I think I finally out grew the place that I grew up skiing.

I wish the new owners much luck, but unless all of us give up our regular haunts for The Fort, I don't see things working out much better. If they come out with something like a $199 season's pass, there might be hope. Otherwise who would buy, say, a $450 pass at Fortress, after having bought a Big 3 or RCR pass?

**PlayHarder** · 09-17-2005, 06:45 PM

Where I started skiing in 1975 as a wee lad. I got likely 10 days each of the last couple seasons, some short days since I can be back in the office in just over an hour and the gf likes Fortress, which is good for a few days.
It'll be interesting to what they do with it, anyway.

**mntlion** · 09-17-2005, 07:19 PM

I've had some great days at the fort too, but same as eldo, they ar few and far between when SSV and LL are soo close. must be a magic day to get me to drive that way.

I really hope that it works for them

**Eldo** · 09-23-2005, 06:34 PM

Fortress season pass prices announced today:

Adult $250
Student $200
Adult mid-week (Mon-Thu) $180

Prices are plus GST, quantities are limited.

This is pretty close to the $199 pass I said they would need to make this work. All in all a surprisingly good business decision.

**CowboyCharade** · 09-23-2005, 08:50 PM

I would be skeptical paying money on lift tickets over Paypal, off from skifortress.ca, a webstie that looks unprofessional to say the least. Coming from Banff Rail Co. who "questionably" dropped several million upfront and can only produce a half assed website with information without sources and the truth without the facts.

**weibo** · 09-23-2005, 10:30 PM

It's hard to justify purchasing a pass there. $250 (cdn) but I don't think they can do all they are promising in the timeframe stated. They aren't just taking over a functioning ski area, it has been shut down for more than a season. I can't see them having the lift maintainance guys, they are hard enough to get at the best of times. I hope they pull it off but underpromising and coming up big is way better than overpromising and leaving people feeling screwed. this whole Robin Hood deal on Biglines makes me uncomfortable and with those prices they are only going to hurt kids and families if it doesn't fly.