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Ramcharger chairlift construction underway at Big Sky Resort

Posted at 10:40 PM, Oct 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-02 00:40:01-04

BIG SKY, Mont. – Big Sky Resort started putting together something exciting Monday morning.

The Ramcharger 8 is the most technologically advanced chairlift in the world, and it’s one of a kind having the capability to bring 3,200 skiers up the mountain per hour.

It was a historic day for Big Sky Resort as it’s the first chairlift of its kind in North America.

Although the chairlifts have been in Europe, they’re finally making their debut in the U.S.

It’s a heated bubble chairlift that will come down over the riders with custom heated seats. There will be more than 60 chairs that will travel five meters a second. The best part? This lift isn’t only for skiers.

Stacie Mesuda, public relations manager for Big Sky Resort, said, “The really cool thing about Ramcharger, the restaurant located on top of the lift is Everett 8,800. This is going to be open for dinner this winter and folks will be able to ride Ramcharger 8 up in their nice, heated bubble and go out for dinner and then they’ll be able to take the chairlift down after dinner.”

Big Sky Resort is overly excited to bring the lift to the mountain and be the first ones to have it in the country.

“Big Sky has a vision called Big Sky 2025, which is a lot of on mountain and village improvements that we have committed to installing at Big Sky and part of that is having the most technologically advanced chairlift network in the world,” Mesuda said.

The resort believes this will bring more skiers and visitors to the resort this season and even next summer as the lifts will have bike carriers.

“I think this really defines Big Sky as the world-class mountain that we are. This is a huge technological upgrade and from skiing, non-ski activities, I mean we really have it all,” Mesuda said.

Not only is the resort getting this high-tech new lift, but they are also updating the Shedhorn chairlift. It used to be a double lift that will now be a quad lift and will become high-speed, reducing the lift time from ten minutes to five.

-Reported by Emma Hamilton