Chairlifts

Fixed-grip chairlift

A fixed-grip chairlift carries seated riders on chairs clamped permanently to a moving haul rope. Because the chairs never let go, the whole line moves at a speed you can board at, typically 1.8 to 2.8 m/s. That makes the ride slower than on a detachable chairlift.

A fixed-grip chairlift in the treesSchematic fixed-grip chairlift on a mid-mountain slope: many closely spaced towers, chairs evenly spaced through both stations because they never leave the rope.
  1. Drive station
  2. Haul rope
  3. Tower with sheave trains
  4. Return station

At a glance

Typical range
Per carrier
1–6 people
Line speed
1.8–2.8 m/s
People per hour
800–2,400 people/hour
Grip
FixedOpen · Skis on: Yes
Wind tolerance
Beginner-friendly
Comfort and boarding
Found on some lifts:
  • Footrest
  • Safety bar

How it works

Each chair is bolted to the haul rope with a fixed grip. The rope runs around a bullwheel at each station and over sheave trains on the towers.

You board a chair that is moving at line speed. Some lifts slow the whole rope while people board, or add a loading carpet to match speeds.

The design is simple and cheap to maintain, so fixed-grip chairs remain common on short lines. France still had 443 at the start of 2025.

How to ride it

  1. Wait at the line

  2. Sit as it arrives

  3. Ride with the bar down

  4. Stand and ski away

  1. Move to the line when the chair ahead has left.
  2. Look back, and sit as the chair reaches the backs of your legs.
  3. Lower the safety bar and rest your skis on the footrest.
  4. Raise the bar before the top, stand up at the unloading point and ski away.
Read the full guide: How to ride a chairlift

Where you’ll find it

Scandinavia

Common at smaller areas and on short lifts at larger ones.

The Alps

Still common on short lines and nursery chairs.

On PisteWindow

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

History and notable examples

The first chairlifts opened on Proctor and Dollar mountains at Sun Valley, Idaho, in December 1936, designed by James Curran of Union Pacific.

Compare with

Detachable chairlift

Detaches in the station, so it can run about twice as fast on the line.

4–8 people · 5–6 m/s

T-bar

You stay on the snow.

1–2 people · 2–3.5 m/s

Compare with
AttributeFixed-grip chairliftDetachable chairliftT-barChair-gondola combo
Per carrier1–6 people4–8 people1–2 people4–10 people
Line speed1.8–2.8 m/s5–6 m/s2–3.5 m/s5–6 m/s
People per hour800–2,400 people/hour2,400–4,800 people/hour700–1,400 people/hour2,400–3,900 people/hour
GripFixedDetachableFixedDetachable
EnclosureOpenOptional bubbleOpenEnclosed
Skis onYesYesYesNo
Wind toleranceLowMediumNo published figureMedium
Beginner-friendlyManageableEasyManageableEasy

Questions

Why is a fixed-grip chairlift slow?

Every chair moves at the speed you board at, the whole way up.

Do fixed-grip chairs have heated seats?

We found no source for it. Seat heating draws power from rails in a detachable station, which fixed-grip lifts do not have.

Is it harder to board than a detachable chair?

It can feel quicker, because the chair arrives at line speed. Some lifts slow down for beginners if you ask.

Do fixed-grip chairs close sooner in wind?

Often, yes. Light, open chairs on one rope swing more than heavier carriers.

Names in other languages

Names in other languages
LanguageName
EnglishFixed-grip chairlift
DeutschFix geklemmte Sesselbahn
SvenskaFast stollift
FrançaisTélésiège à pinces fixes
ItalianoSeggiovia ad ammorsamento fisso
NederlandsStoeltjeslift met vaste klem
EspañolTelesilla de pinza fija
DanskStolelift med fast klemme
Norsk bokmålStolheis med fast klemme

Sources

  1. Doppelmayr/Garaventa · Seat Heating brochure (ENG, 09/2013) · Checked
  2. LEITNER AG · Winter sports ropeway systems brochure (EN) · Checked
  3. Mt. Ashland (operator) · Wind Holds & Delays · Checked
  4. Palisades Tahoe (operator blog) · Determining factors that guide operational decisions · Checked
  5. remontees-mecaniques.net · Le télésiège (dossier) · Checked
  6. remontees-mecaniques.net forum (enthusiast/operator posts) · Résistance au vent (forum thread) · Checked
  7. Smithsonian Magazine · How a railroad engineer from Nebraska invented the world's first ski chairlift · Checked
  8. STRMTG (French cableway regulator, Ministry of Ecological Transition) · Rapport annuel 2024-2025 (parc au 01/01/2025, annexes 1, 4, 5) · Checked
  9. Sugarbush Resort (operator blog) · Blow, blow, thou winter wind · Checked
  10. Union Pacific · Surprising Railroad Inventions: The Ski Lift · Checked