Large traffic jams to access the mountains of Madrid at the start of the ski season

The Cotos and Navacerrada car parks have posted the "full" sign early this Saturday, the day in which the season of the Puerto de Navacerrada ski resort has begun, with the opening of the slopes in the lower area , specifically, El Telégrafo, El Escaparate and El Bosque.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
12 January 2024 Friday 21:25
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Large traffic jams to access the mountains of Madrid at the start of the ski season

The Cotos and Navacerrada car parks have posted the "full" sign early this Saturday, the day in which the season of the Puerto de Navacerrada ski resort has begun, with the opening of the slopes in the lower area , specifically, El Telégrafo, El Escaparate and El Bosque.

At 8 a.m. this Saturday, access was restricted on the M-601 towards Puerto de Navacerrada because the parking lots in the Sierra de Guadarrama were full, which has caused long delays.

As a regulation measure and massive influx of vehicles, access has also been cut off on the M-604 at kilometer 32, past Rascafría, in the exit direction, sections through which only emergency vehicles and public transport can circulate.

The Community of Madrid has recommended the use of public transport to avoid crowds and traffic problems on the access roads to the ports of Navacerrada and Cotos, so, instead, the buses of the Regional Transport Consortium can be used. that depart from the capital and other nearby municipalities, as well as Cercanías Renfe.

The opening of the only station that had yet to be opened in the Community of Madrid has been possible thanks to the snow that has fallen in recent days and the low temperatures, which have facilitated the work of the artificial snowmaking cannons.

The inauguration of this season comes almost three years after the concession to use the land by the Government has expired and while the station awaits a ruling that will condition its future.

In an order from December 2021, the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León (TSJCyL) rejected the precautionary measures that the Government had requested to prevent sports activity on the three Segovian tracks, so the company can continue with it until that the same court resolves the question of jurisdiction in a ruling.

The National Parks Autonomous Organization, dependent on the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, requested the cessation of activity since the 7.7 hectares of the three Segovian slopes are its property and the organization terminated the occupation title since on April 3, 2021, without the possibility of extension.

Now, both parties await a ruling from the TSJCyL, which will have to determine which is the competent authority to order the dismantling of the station, once the Junta de Castilla y León declared itself "not competent" when requested by the National Parks.

Likewise, last December, the Minister of the Environment, Carlos Novillo, asked the Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, to rectify her decision, in order to continue skiing activity in the Puerto de Navacerrada.

In addition to this resort, Valdesquí and La Pinilla have opened their doors this Thursday, although in the case of the Madrid enclave, with only 2.5 skiable kilometers on the beginner slopes.

In the case of La Pinilla, the closest resort outside the Community of Madrid, located in the Sierra de Ayllón, this Thursday also opened its almost 16 skiable kilometers, divided into 4 green slopes, 6 blue and 13 red.