It’s easy to group all types of machinery that allow for uphill travel at ski resorts as chairlifts but in fact there are a wide variety of different methods of getting skiers and snowboarders to the tops of mountains.
Ranging from single person surface lifts to mountain railways that carry hundreds of guests at once, the following video by Peak Rankings provides a comprehensive overview of every type of ski lift you will see on your next winter vacation.
In the realm of people moving in the mountains, its hard to beat aerial trams for large scale resorts that require high capacity uphill travel to avoid long lines and unhappy guests.
Unlike gondolas with small cabins that move continuously, aerial trams feature one or two large cabins traveling back and forth on fixed cables. They excel in steep rugged terrain requiring minimal towers. World class resorts like Jackson Hole, Jay Peak, Snowbird, and Chamonix all feature trams to access their most challenging terrain.
While we appreciate all types of chairlifts, we tend to agree with Peak Ranking that aerial trams reign supreme.