How are chair lifts/gondola’s (at ski resorts) built and installed?

ski resorts
billytkid asked:

Ive been on holiday recently snowboarding, and while on the chair lifts and gondolas weve been thinking about how are these massive structures built in such remote and inaccesible locations? Another part to this is how are the cables (which must way tons) run over the length of the lift, then bonded together and the tension applied?!

Can you help, or point me to a website?



Comments (3)    Posted in Other - Winter Sports    

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3 Responses to 'How are chair lifts/gondola’s (at ski resorts) built and installed?'

  1. da_hammerhead - September 5th, 2010 at 4:30 pm

    Union Laborers directed by bricklayers.

  2. Gene L - September 6th, 2010 at 4:46 am

    Helicopters are used to transport an entire tower/cross-arm structure up to the set site and keep it stationary and level while workmen accomplish the bolt-down. When altitude and temperature restrict the helicopter’s lift capacity, an operations team can assist in the design and planning process to separate the towers into safe working loads that can be reassembled efficiently and securely at the set site.

    Here are some helpful sites:

    About the cables:

  3. da_cubbies31 - September 7th, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    i just watched a gondola being built in breckinridge colorado. all the materials are either flown or trucked in. first the large support poles are built. then they have feed the large cable into the tracks. this is usually done by helicopter or cranes. then at the beginning and end of the lift/gondola the new chairs are fed onto the cable untill all the chairs are on the cable.


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