For people who don’t hit up the snow often, the term ski lift might conjure quite a few different
For other’s thought, it is the simplest way to get to the top of the mountain.
Put simply a Ski Lift is a lift that will take you up the mountain. The thing is though, there are multiple types of lifts and we will dive into them here to explain each one individually.
Chairlifts
When thinking about ski lifts, the first one that will come to mind in most cases will be the Chair Lift.
Just as the name suggests it’s a chair, so people sit on it, usually one that fits 2-8 people on it at once and you get taken up the mountain on a cable.
Additionally, to this, the Chairlift is usually suspended above the snow between poles.
In doing so you tend to have your legs dangle above other skiers. Do not fret though, you are safe as the moment you sit down you put a safety bar over yourself to keep you strapped in.
One thing to also take into consideration is that the chair that goes up must also come down as it is connected to the same cable.
In most instances, the chairlift does not stop moving while doing its rounds so if you are to slow you might end up being stuck on the chairlift going back down the mountain.
Gondolas
Similar to the chairlift, the gondolas run on a cable that goes up and down the mountain.
The Gondolas are connected to the cable and go up and down with it
The major difference is that a gondola is an enclosed booth which fits anything between 4-30 people.
With this one, you don’t have to hurry to jump off as it will stop so that everyone can disembark safely.
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Cable Cars and Funiculars
Quite similar to the Gondola, the cable car is an enclosed space that can carry more people. Up to 200 at a time.
With a Cable car, you will find that there are only 2 carts on the cable which run in opposite direction to one another.
If one is going up then the other is going down. In doing so the cart stays on the same line for the duration of the trip.
Drag Lifts
Like the name states
You hold onto a pole, usually with a small attachment at the end.
This attachment is there to support you going up the mountain, but not for sitting.
All you do is place the pole between your legs and hold on.
The biggest mistake beginners make is to sit on the attachment, so make sure not to do that.
You will quickly see plenty of beginners stacking it as you have to be able to juggle balancing and positioning of your feet.
The best thing about this lift is that if you fall off or you feel like rejoining it halfway down the hill, you can.
Simply find a free spot on anywhere along this ski lift and join.
These are the most commonly used ski lifts on resorts and mountains. Which one do you like using the most and which ones have we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments below.
If you found this article about ski lifts to be
What actually is a Ski Lift?
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