Ski lift

Chairlift mechanism in the resort of Val Cenis Vanoise, France

A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald.

Types

• Aerial lifts transport skiers while suspended off the ground. Aerial lifts are often bicable ropeways, the "bi-" prefix meaning that the cables have two different functions (carrying and pulling).
  • Aerial tramways
  • Chairlifts and detachable chairlifts
  • Funifors
  • Funitels
  • Gondola lifts
  • Hybrid lifts
• Surface lifts, including T-bars, magic carpets, and rope tows.
• Cable railways, including funiculars
• Helicopters are used for heliskiing and snowcats for snowcat skiing. This is backcountry skiing or boarding accessed by a snowcat or helicopter instead of a lift, or by hiking. Cat skiing is less than half the cost of heliskiing, more expensive than a lift ticket but is easier than ski touring. Cat skiing is guided. Skiing at select, extreme resorts, like Silverton Mountain, is also guided, even when skiing just off the lift.

Locations

Map of world ski resorts (interactive map)

Ski lift are built on both northern and southern hemisphere. Extreme locations of non indoor ski lifts:

• The most northern is near Tromsø, Norway
• The most southern is near Ushuaia, Argentina
• The closest to equator from north is near Liang, China
• The closest to equator from south is near Mahlasela, Lesotho

External links

• Media related to Ski lifts at Wikimedia Commons