Cabin lifts
Cabin lifts carry you inside a closed cabin with your skis off. Small gondola cabins circulate on one rope. Funitels grip two haul ropes set wide apart. 3S gondolas roll on two fixed track ropes and are pulled by a third. Aerial tramways shuttle one or two big cabins back and forth on track ropes. More ropes mean longer spans and better wind stability, at a higher cost. The chair-gondola combo sits here too: it mixes chairs and cabins on one rope.
Lift types
Gondola
Small cabins circulate on one rope.
4–10 people · 5–7 m/s
3S gondola
Big cabins roll on two ropes, a third pulls them.
28–38 people · 6–8.5 m/s
Funitel
Wide cabins grip two haul ropes.
20–33 people · 6–7 m/s
Aerial tramway
One or two big cabins shuttle back and forth.
6–200 people · 10–12.5 m/s
Chair-gondola comboHybrid
Chairs and cabins share one rope.
4–10 people · 5–6 m/s
Side by side
| Attribute | Gondola | 3S gondola | Funitel | Aerial tramway | Chair-gondola combo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per carrier | 4–10 people | 28–38 people | 20–33 people | 6–200 people | 4–10 people |
| Line speed | 5–7 m/s | 6–8.5 m/s | 6–7 m/s | 10–12.5 m/s | 5–6 m/s |
| People per hour | 2,000–4,500 people/hour | 1,500–6,000 people/hour | 3,000–4,000 people/hour | 500–2,000 people/hour | 2,400–3,900 people/hour |
| Grip | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable | Fixed | Detachable |
| Enclosure | Enclosed | Enclosed | Enclosed | Enclosed | Enclosed |
| Skis on | No | No | No | No | No |
| Wind tolerance | Medium | High | High | No published figure | Medium |
| Beginner-friendly | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Where you’ll find it
Long, high or exposed lines, and links from the village.