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Winter Park Resort is working to fix a gondola that malfunctioned, stranding 174 guests during five-hour rescue operation

Kit Geary
Summit Daily News
A Winter Park Resort ski patroller assists riders after a malfunction with the resort's gondola forced an evacuation on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
Jason Driver/Courtesy photo

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add information from the Associated Press.

Winter Park Resort is working on repairing a gondola that malfunctioned on Saturday, Dec. 21, causing roughly 174 guests to be evacuated by ski patrol over the course of a five-hour rescue operation, according to reports from the Associated Press.

Spokesperson Jen Miller told Sky Hi News there is no estimated time for the repairs to be complete. Miller said the gondola won’t reopen until all tests are complete following the repairs.



“The replacement parts are onsite, and the repair is currently underway,” Miller said in an email.

Resort-goers swiftly took to social media yesterday afternoon amid the event, posting photos of a crack on a tower component near the resort base. Miller confirmed the crack did play a role in the malfunction.



A malfunction with Winter Park Resort’s Gondola on Saturday, Dec. 21, which led to riders needing to be evacuated by ski patrol.
Jason Driver/Courtesy photo

Miller said the resort’s investigation into what exactly caused the malfunction is ongoing. 

“(Representatives) from both the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and Leitner-Poma, the manufacturer, are currently onsite conducting the investigation and helping with the repair,” she said. 

She said all but two of the resort’s 23 lifts are running at this time. Aside from the gondola closure, the Eagle Wind lift hasn’t yet opened for the season.

“Guests can continue to access the rest of the mountain via the 21 other open lifts,” Miller said.

Sky-Hi News has also sent an inquiry to the Colorado Tramway Safety Board for an update on the ongoing investigation.


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