Doppelmayr works to build the world’s highest capacity urban gondola system in Guatemala with two lines, 12 stations and 495 12 place cabins capable of moving 5,500 riders per hour/direction/line.
An urban gondola in Africa closes after just a few weeks due to low ridership, high ticket prices, vandalism and resident fears.
A new lawsuit alleges Alterra, Vail, Boyne, Powdr, NSAA and RRC Associates illegally colluded on destination resort pricing (full text here.)
Oregon OSHA fines Mt. Hood Skibowl $43,000 over a fatal maintenance incident, alleging staff operated a work carrier beyond limitations after receiving no formal training on it (the area has appealed.)
An investigation finds parts improperly installed decades ago combined with a misload and unevenly loaded chair caused a deropement at Vail last winter.
A law firm files an antitrust lawsuit against Alterra and Vail, claiming both “unlawfully inflated prices and suppressed competition through anticompetitive bundling practices tied to their multi‑mountain season passes.”
In a real estate sales presentation, Red Mountain leaders say expansion lifts on Mt. Kirkup and White Wolf Ridge are a higher priority than replacing existing lifts.
The 13 year-old critically injured in an unloading incident at Ski Vorlage, Quebec last week died four days later, her family says. Quebec’s ropeway regulator inspected the lift post-accident and identified several unspecified corrective actions, now completed.
Five people board a quad chair on the Sourdough Express at Vail, one later jumps off after the lift stops (unclear if they were directed to do so by Vail Resorts staff.)
Castle Mountain, Alberta temporarily closes the new Stagecoach Express to swap a motor.
At Marquette Mountain, Michigan, a misload bends apart a Riblet chair (quickly replaced without incident.)
The Supreme Court strikes down some of President Trump’s import tariffs but not Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs most affecting lift manufacturers. In response to the decision, the President orders a 10 percent global tariff to last 150 days (USMCA compliant goods and items already subjected to Section 232 tariffs are exempted).
Little Eagle at Vail is evacuated after an incident; Vail Resorts declines to say whether anyone was injured amid online rumors (update 2/4: in a Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board Meeting, the state’s Supervisory Tramway Engineer said no one was injured.)
“We’re always going to be upgrading lifts; we announced a new lift for next year and that’s critical. But I think we need to realize also as a company and as an industry that it can’t just be about lifts. It’s not the only thing that matters to people. And in our minds we think there’s technology that can make a big difference. How people use technology in the digital experience, how it makes it easier for them to rent skis, how it makes it easier for them to connect with their ski instructor, how it makes it easier for them to get food, how it makes it easier for them to get around a resort or overall book a vacation. I think these are all things that are critical that really speak to the entirety of the guest experience when they come to us. Those are things where we really have a unique advantage because we own and operate all our resorts. They’re all on a common platform. And it’s where you invest dollars that actually impact everyone’s experience with all of our resorts rather than a singular lift, which affects one resort for some people who use that lift. Now that said, we have to keep investing in lifts. When you look back historically, you’ve seen us spend a lot of money on lifts over the last four years. So that’s continuing. We’re still going to keep proposing lifts. But I think the differentiator is going to be in this other area which is not as capital intensive as trying to replace every lift on Vail Mountain or something like that. That’s where we’re putting our focus.”
BigRock, Maine introduces a new trail map painted by Rad Smith.
Part of the former Iron Mountain Ski Area near Kirkwood goes up for sale. A reader who’d like to remain anonymous sent along these recent photos of five abandoned lifts.
Austria’s Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, Hintertux and Silvretta Montafon join the Epic Pass as partner resorts, bringing Epic to nine European destinations.
Poma releases its 2024 Reference Book highlighting projects around the world.
Leitner-Poma discusses the impact of tariffs on the SAM huddle.
Burke Mountain emerges from nine years of government receivership with new owners.
Mount Saint Louis-Moonstone, Ontario teases a new era coming to the Outback side of the mountain.
Leitner introduces its next generation monocable detachable called Ropera, combining technology from Leitner, Poma and Bartholet. The launch customer will be Speikboden, Italy with a six place chairlift.
Relations sour between the Town of Mountain Village and Telluride Ski Resort owner Chuck Horning with the Town Manager giving a lengthy speech about problems at the resort.
Skeetawk, Alaska’s only chairlift shuts down for a multi-week repair.
Kicking Horse’s gondola remains closed indefinitely; the resort will transport gear up to Stairway to Heaven free of charge but guests still have to walk there.
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