Ski lifts

Chairlifts

A chairlift carries you seated, skis on, on chairs hung from a moving haul rope. The difference that matters is the grip. A fixed-grip chair stays clamped to the rope, so the whole line runs at a speed you can board at. A detachable chair lets go of the rope in each station, crawls past the boarding line and clamps back on at full speed, so the ride takes far less time. Newer detachables add weather bubbles and heated seats.