BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada – Grouse Mountain, just north of Vancouver, B.C., is set to start spinning their new gondola this upcoming ski season. The new gondola will come just before the resort’s centennial in 2026, featuring 14 towers and 27 eight-person gondola cabins. It replaces the Blue Skyride lift, bringing the uphill capacity just above where it was when Blue and Red Skyrides were both operational.
“Across May and June, the terminals for both the Plateau Station and the Base Station were put into place, and works continue on their structures.“
Blue Tram was decommissioned after 58 years in late June, allowing assembly of the new gondola to continue. The tram’s cars are currently stationed at the bottom of the resort, and, though plans aren’t yet solidified, Grouse Mountain promises that this won’t be the end for the lift.
“With the removal of the Blue Tram, another major phase of the project was able to progress – the assembly of the towers and line work that will eventually link the two stations together over a 2,600 foot vertical rise. Helicopters were used to deliver concrete for the remaining foundations as well as transporting nine of the 14 towers into place. To access one of locations, the Skyride was used as a winch to transport the pieces into place, check it out in the video! Guests will continue to see towers appear over the next few months!“
Line work and tower assembly is set to continue through the summer, with system testing scheduled for Fall 2024. If all goes well, the new gondola should open winter of 2024/25.
