by Conway

Top 25 Ski Lifts by Vertical

Thanks to websites like MountainVertical.com, skiers looking for the best bang-for-their-buck know which mountains provide the best “True-Up Vertical”, or the maximum practical descent possible from any one ski run.

But if you’re a true fanatic looking to rack up as many vertical-feet-per-day as possible, knowing a mountain’s True-Up Vertical isn’t enough, since it can take several sequential chairlifts to return to the summit. A better question is, “How many vertical feet can I ski from a single chairlift?”

Using user-submitted and GPS-verified data from Trace, I found the top chairlifts in North America.

Top 25 Chairlifts By Vertical Rise:

  1. Aerial Tram, Jackson Hole, WY: 4095 ft., 9 min, 455 ft. rise/min
  2. Revelation Gondola, Revelstoke, BC: 3843 ft., 22 min, 175 ft. rise/min
  3. Whistler Village Gondola, Whistler Blackcomb, BC: 3756 ft., 28 min, 134 ft. rise/min
  4. Golden Eagle Express, Kicking Horse, BC: 3505 ft., 18 min, 195 ft. rise/min
  5. Silver Queen Gondola, Aspen, CO: 3253 ft., 19 min, 171 ft. rise/min
  6. Challenger, Sun Valley, ID: 3122 ft., 13 min, 240 ft. rise/min
  7. Burfield, Sun Peaks, BC: 2871 ft., 39 min, 73 ft. rise/min
  8. Aerial Tram, Snowbird, UT: 2869 ft., 13 min, 221 ft. rise/min
  9. Bridger Gondola, Jackson Hole, WY: 2757 ft., 18 min, 153 ft. rise/min
  10. Lookout Express, Sun Valley, ID: 2666 ft., 12 min,  222 ft. rise/min
  11. Strawberry Express Gondola, Snowbasin, UT: 2473 ft., 14 min, 177 ft. rise/min
  12. Mt. Rainier Gondola, Crystal Mountain, WA: 2450 ft., 16 min, 153 ft. rise/min
  13. Cloudsplitter Gondola, Whiteface, NY: 2433 ft., 14 min, 174 ft. rise/min
  14. Peruvian Express, Snowbird, UT: 2425 ft., 11 min, 220 ft. rise/min
  15. John Paul Express Quad, Snowbasin, UT: 2424 ft., 14 min, 173 ft. rise/min
  16. Grizzly Gondola, Lake Louise, AB: 2416 ft., 16 min, 151 ft. rise/min
  17. Northwest Express, Mount Bachelor, OR: 2367 ft., 11 min, 215 ft. rise/min
  18. Needles Express Gondola, Snowbasin, UT: 2308 ft., 16 min, 144 ft. rise/min
  19. Motherlode Chair, Red Mountain, BC: 2304 ft., 14 min, 165 ft. rise/min
  20. Summit Express, Keystone, CO: 2296 ft., 14 min, 164 ft. rise/min
  21. River Run Gondola, Keystone, CO: 2296 ft., 15 min, 153 ft. rise/min
  22. Super Bee, Copper Mountain, CO: 2287 ft., 10 min, 229 ft. rise/min
  23. Gem Lake Express, Big White, BC: 2274 ft., 12 min, 190 ft. rise/min
  24. Shear Bliss, Snowmass, CO: 2202 ft., 12 min, 184 ft. rise/min
  25. Eagle Bahn Gondola, Vail, CO: 2201 ft., 12 min, 183 ft. rise/min

[Methodology note: I aggregated Trace’s chairlift data for each of the resorts with over 2000 ft. of True-Up Vertical as measured by MountainVertical.com. Since Trace has duplicate entries for some chairlifts, I removed duplicates if the chairlift in question had an identical vertical rise, length, and name as another chairlift at the same resort. Several chairlifts have waystations, which Trace may split into multiple chairlifts; I attempted to recombine these into single entities. I have reservations about the accuracy of Trace’s chairlift ride times, which also does not distinguish between lift times and waiting times, etc.. I’m happy to edit the tables if you find a more accurate time.]