Cabin lifts

3S gondola

A 3S gondola, or tricable gondola, carries large cabins that roll on two fixed track ropes and are pulled by a third, moving haul rope. Separating carrying from pulling allows spans of several kilometres between towers and operation in wind up to about 110 km/h. Cabins detach in the stations like a gondola.

A 3S gondola across a valleySchematic 3S line between stations high on two mountainsides, with one lattice tower and a long free span over a valley with a river and a village.
  1. Station
  2. Two fixed track ropes
  3. Moving haul rope
  4. Lattice tower
  5. One span across the valley
  6. Station on the far side

At a glance

Typical range
Per carrier
28–38 people
Line speed
6–8.5 m/s
People per hour
1,500–6,000 people/hour
Grip
DetachableEnclosed · Skis on: No
Wind tolerance
Beginner-friendly

How it works

The carriage on the track ropesSchematic close-up of a 3S carriage: wheels rolling on the two fixed track ropes, a detachable grip on the haul rope below, and the cabin hanging beneath.
  1. Track ropes stay still
  2. Carriage wheels roll
  3. Grip on the haul rope
  4. Haul rope moves with the cabin
  5. Cabin for 28 to 38
One, two or three ropesSchematic end-on sections in a side wind: a gondola on one rope swings most, a funitel on two wide-set haul ropes much less, and a 3S on two track ropes plus a haul rope least.
  1. Side wind
  2. Gondola: one rope
  3. Funitel: two haul ropes
  4. 3S: two track ropes and a haul rope
  5. Track ropes
  6. Haul rope

Three ropes per direction: two track ropes, anchored at the stations and never moving, carry the weight; one haul rope, running in a loop, pulls. The name comes from German, Dreiseilumlaufbahn.

Each cabin hangs from a carriage with several pairs of wheels that roll on the two track ropes. Below the carriage, a detachable grip clamps the haul rope.

In the stations the grip opens, the carriage leaves the track ropes for a rail, and tyres move the cabin slowly past the doors. Cabins carry 28 to 38 people.

Because the track ropes are heavy and tensioned hard, a 3S can cross a whole valley in one span. Peak 2 Peak at Whistler spans 3.024 km, up to 436 m above the ground.

Two track ropes side by side give a wide, stable base, so the cabins barely swing. Doppelmayr and the French regulator both give about 110 km/h as the design wind limit.

How to ride it

Riding a 3S gondolaFour frames: skiers carry their skis into the station, board the cabin, ride high above the valley and step out at the top.

  1. Skis off, walk in

  2. Board the cabin

  3. Ride across the valley

  4. Step out at the top

  1. Take your skis off and walk into the station.
  2. Board the slow-moving cabin on a level floor; put skis in the racks inside.
  3. Ride standing or seated as the cabin crosses the valley.
  4. Step out at the top and collect your skis.

Where you’ll find it

Scandinavia

Rare. Leitner lists a 3S at Voss in Norway.

The Alps

A handful of high-capacity, exposed lines: Saas-Fee, Val d’Isère, Kitzbühel and the Matterhorn Glacier Ride in Zermatt among them.

On PisteWindow

Lift types are recorded for 74 of 247 destinations so far.

History and notable examples

The first tricable gondola, the Alpin Express in Saas-Fee, opened in September 1991. It was built by Von Roll and carried 30 people per cabin.

Doppelmayr’s first 3S, L’Olympique in Val d’Isère, followed in 2002, after it took over Von Roll’s ropeway business in 1996.

The 3S in Kitzbühel, commissioned in December 2004, spans 2,507 m and passes 400 m above the ground.

Peak 2 Peak at Whistler opened in 2008 with a free span of 3.024 km.

The Matterhorn Glacier Ride in Zermatt opened in 2018. Its top station at 3,821 m makes it the highest 3S.

Compare with

Funitel

Two moving haul ropes, no track ropes.

20–33 people · 6–7 m/s

Aerial tramway

Two cabins shuttling instead of many circulating.

6–200 people · 10–12.5 m/s

Gondola

One rope carries and pulls; smaller cabins.

4–10 people · 5–7 m/s

Compare with
Attribute3S gondolaFunitelAerial tramwayGondola
Per carrier28–38 people20–33 people6–200 people4–10 people
Line speed6–8.5 m/s6–7 m/s10–12.5 m/s5–7 m/s
People per hour1,500–6,000 people/hour3,000–4,000 people/hour500–2,000 people/hour2,000–4,500 people/hour
GripDetachableDetachableFixedDetachable
EnclosureEnclosedEnclosedEnclosedEnclosed
Skis onNoNoNoNo
Wind toleranceHighHighNo published figureMedium
Beginner-friendlyEasyEasyEasyEasy

Questions

What does 3S stand for?

Three ropes (Seile in German): two track ropes that carry and one haul rope that pulls.

Why does a 3S cope better with wind?

The cabin rolls on two heavy ropes set apart, which gives it a wide base, and its weight is high. Design values reach about 110 km/h.

How is a 3S different from a funitel?

A funitel hangs from two moving haul ropes and has no track ropes. A 3S rolls on two fixed track ropes and is pulled by a third.

How is a 3S different from an aerial tramway?

A tramway shuttles one or two cabins back and forth. A 3S circulates many cabins continuously.

How many people fit in a 3S cabin?

Typically 28 to 38.

Names in other languages

Names in other languages
LanguageName
English3S gondola (tricable)
Deutsch3S-Bahn (Dreiseilumlaufbahn)
Svenska3S-bana
FrançaisTéléphérique 3S
ItalianoCabinovia trifune (3S)
Nederlands3S-baan
EspañolTelecabina tricable (3S)
Dansk3S-bane
Norsk bokmål3S-bane

Sources

  1. Doppelmayr (via search excerpt) / Wikipedia pointer · Tricable gondola lift (Wikipedia, pointer) and Doppelmayr magazine excerpt on L'Olympique · Checked
  2. Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH · TRI-Line brochure (2023) · Checked
  3. Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH · UP customer magazine, Interalpin 2023 edition: System Overview (D-Line 10-MGD, D-Line 20-MGD, TRI-Line 20-TGD, 3S 32-TGD) · Checked
  4. ISR International Ropeway Review · The 3S gondola lift is 25 years old · Checked
  5. LEITNER AG · The world's highest 3S gondola lift (news, 2018) · Checked
  6. LEITNER AG · Winter sports ropeway systems brochure (EN) · Checked
  7. Lift-World (lift-world.info) · Alpin Express I, Saas-Fee (lift 2805) · Checked
  8. Lift-World (lift-world.info) · 3S Bahn Kitzbühel (lift 4008) · Checked
  9. Lift-World (lift-world.info) · Peak2Peak Gondola (lift 13214) · Checked
  10. STRMTG / RiskNat seminar · Séminaire STRMTG 15 May 2025: adaptation au changement climatique (slides) · Checked
  11. Whistler Blackcomb · PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola · Checked