There are quite a few impressive and unique chairlifts around the world, from the wild Sling Shot chairlifts at Ski Portillo in Chile to the high-tech heated ski lift wonders that dominate the European Alps today. This lift at Japan’s Hakuba Goryu includes a feature we’re pretty sure we’ve never seen before.
Most chairlifts sit fixed at a specific height, high enough that heavy snowfall doesn’t block the chairs when it arrives in the dead of the winter. Hakuba Goryu, like many Japanese ski resorts, gets a ton of snowfall, so their chairlifts have to sit high up. But when the summer rolls around and Hakuba Goryu shifts to being an Alpine Botanical Garden, not every guest is comfortable with the height.
To fix the problem, the resort’s Alps 1st Chairlift has an adjustable height. It sits high above the deep snow in the winter, but crews drop the chair to about 1 meter off the ground in the summer to ensure everyone can enjoy a safe and comfortable ride. It’s a grueling task, but crews still make it happen every year.
It’s quite an impressive function. It would be really cool to see this at some resorts in the United States, especially with a focus toward the concept of a mountain botanical garden. Mountain biking and hiking are great activities for ski areas in the summer, but maybe it’s time for these resorts to start hiring botanical experts and creating unique garden experiences.
