North America — One of the most unique lifts in the ski industry is the chondola. This lift, which is also know as a hybrid or telemix lift, features a mix of high-capacity chairs and gondola cabins. While these lifts exist around the world, not many have been installed across North America. However there are still mountains that have installed these unique lifts.
Here’s a rundown of which North America ski resorts have chondolas and where some could be added in the future.
Arizona Snowbowl: Opened in late 2020, the Arizona Gondola is the newest chondola in North America’s ski industry. It replaced the Agassiz chairlift, a fixed-grip triple that opened back in 1986. It has a ride time of around seven minutes in the summer and is a slower 10-15 minutes during the offseason. This lift services a vast majority of the terrain at the Snowbowl, and has become a valuable asset for the ski resort, bringing in guests during the offseason.
Beaver Creek: The Centennial Express is a behemoth. Opened during the 2014-15 season, it replaced a high-speed quad of the same name. The lift’s vertical rise of 2102 feet connects the Beaver Creek Village to the Spruce Saddle Lodge.
This lift is a mix of six-person chairs and ten-person gondola cabins. This lift connects skiers and riders to beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert trails and glades.
Bromont: Opened back in 2018, the Village Express is a mix of six-seat chairs and eight-person gondola cabins. It has a vertical rise of 1,171 ft, connecting the Village to the summit of Mont Brome. The chondola services beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert terrain.
Copper Mountain: The American Eagle has become a game-changing lift for the Colorado ski resort. Opened in late 2018, this lift features a mix of eight-person gondola cabins and six-person carriers.
The American Eagle services mostly intermediate terrain but also gives easy access to the vast majority of the lower mountain. It also connects the Center Village to the Aerie, a new modern base lodge that opened in 2023.
Mont Orford: Opened during the 2008-09 season, L’Hybride is a mix of six-person chairs and eight-person gondola cabins.
The lift has a vertical rise of 1,933 feet. Servicing the summit of Mont Orford, it gives access to beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert trails and glades.
Northstar: Making its debut in 2006, the Tahoe Zephyr Express moves skiers and riders from the mid-mountain to the Northwest Territory and Zephyr Lodge.
The lift features a mix of six-person chairs and eight-person gondola cabins. With a vertical rise of 1050 feet, the chondola connects skiers to the Zephyr Lodge, along with intermediate terrain.
Sunday River: Back when it opened in 2008, the Chondola was one of the most expensive lifts ever built in New England. According to the Boston Globe, it cost $7.2 million to build it back in 2008.
The lift has a total of 64 six-pack chairs, and 18 eight-person gondola cabins. The Chondola has a length of 6,427 feet, a vertical rise of 1138 vertical feet, and a ride time of around seven minutes.
Over the past sixteen years, it has connected guests from the South Ridge base lodge to North Peak and the Peak Lodge. This lift is also a part of Sunday River’s twilight nights program, which they offer on select weekends and holidays.
Telluride: Opened back in 1995, it’s one of the four free lifts that non-skiers can ride around Telluride. With a small vertical rise of 384 vertical feet, this chondola connects Meadows to the Mountain Village. The lift is a mix of four-person gondola cabins and four-person chairs.
It mostly serves as a connector lift, but it’s also valuable for beginners who want to ski in an area with solely easy terrain.
Chondola In The Summer: During the summertime, Whitefish Mountain Resort converts the Big Mountain Express #1 into a chondola. This chairlift is solely a detachable high-speed quad chairlift in the winter, but some of the carriers are swapped with a four-person gondola cabin during the offseason. Because they don’t do this year round, I feel like it shouldn’t count towards the six ski resorts that do keep this setup daily.
Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire used to do the same thing as Whitefish, but it auctioned off its gondola cabins in 2024.
Potential Future Chondolas: In 2023, Brighton Resort stated its interest in building a chondola. This lift would connect from Brighton’s main base area to the new Snake Creek lodge, which opened last winter. The plan is an attempt to increase summer visitation, along with creating easier access to beginner/intermediate terrain. Additionally, it will create a simpler route to the Snake Creek Express chairlift. This proposed project was approved by the US Forest Service early last year, so we’ll have to see if or when Brighton decides to install one in the years ahead.
Grand Targhee is also considering building a chondola, which would replace the Dreamcatcher detachable high-speed quad chairlift. Located at Targhee’s base area, this is the ski resort’s main workhorse. A timeline for this though seems less definitive, as it’s part of Grand Targhee’s master plan that’s been undergoing a comprehensive review process because of opposition from environmental groups.
Image/Video Credits: Arizona Snowbowl, Beaver Creek, Bromont, Copper Mountain, Mont. Orford, Northstar Resort, Sunday River, Town of Mountain Village, Telluride Ski & Golf, Whitefish Mountain Resort
Update 2/21 10:00 p.m.: This list previously excluded Bromont, which has now been added.
