This is a chronological operational update post with details on a Gondola mechanical issue that occurred on Dec 21, 2024. All updates are ordered from most recent to least recent.

12/23/24 – 1:15 PM

All final testing and inspection is complete, and the Gondola is now open to the public.

Thanks again to all of our teams, partners and guests.

12/23/24 – 11:30 AM

The repair was completed yesterday evening, and the Gondola ran for a significant amount of time for testing into the night. All cabins, towers, alignment and systems have been inspected and checked. The Gondola is currently running for final testing and evaluation, including a check of all towers.

Our teams have worked hand in hand with representatives from the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and the lift manufacturer Leitner Poma to make this repair, working through the defined process for the inspection and approval for lifts and Gondolas in Colorado.

Representatives from the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board have informed us that we will be cleared to open the Gondola to the public after a final visual inspection this morning, and we anticipate opening the Gondola to the public later today.

We want to thank the Lift Maintenance, Patrol and other Operations teams, as well as our partners at the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board, Leitner Poma and others for their incredible efforts over the past three days. We also want to thank our guests for their patience and understanding.

Representatives from the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and the lift manufacturer were here throughout the investigation, repair and testing. They were here within hours of the incident and have been on-site over the last three days. Representatives from the USFS have also been on-site to review the process. A thorough inspection of the issue has been conducted, and representatives from the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and lift manufacturer concur on the component failure. 

A report on the investigation will be released publicly by representatives from the office of the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board after they complete their process, likely after the New Year. Detail on the cause of the failure will be included in that report. 

We will provide an update on the Gondola opening to the public as soon as it is available.

12/22/24 – 4:00PM

Repairs on the Gondola are progressing, and the new part has been installed. The Gondola will be running late today and tomorrow for thorough testing and evaluation.
Pending evaluation and test results, the Gondola will open as soon as possible to the public. 
We are working as quickly as possible while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff, and will continue to provide updates as we have them.

12/22/24 – 1:00PM

The initial inspection of the Gondola is complete, and repair efforts are currently underway on Tower 1 of the Gondola. The broken piece has been removed, and the replacement part and crane are on site.  The Arrow and Gemini Lifts continue to provide service out of the Winter Park Base. There is still no anticipated timeframe for when the Gondola will re-open.

12/22/24 – 9:00 AM

At 12:15pm on December 21, 2024, the Gondola had a mechanical issue and immediately shut down as the system is designed to do so for guest safety. At this time the Gondola is closed for repair and further inspection. All guests were safely evacuated thanks to our Patrol team.

The Colorado Tramway Safety Board oversees and licenses all chairlifts and gondolas in the state, including the Gondola at Winter Park Resort. The Tramway Safety Board along with the Gondola manufacturer (Leitner Poma) arrived  on the afternoon of Dec. 21, shortly after the malfunction was detected. They are actively working to determine what happened and help us repair the lift as quickly as possible.

 A replacement part and crane have arrived, and repairs are underway. Once the repair is complete, the Colorado Tramway Safety Board will complete a thorough inspection process. Once we have approval from the Tram Board we will be able to re-open the Gondola. We do not currently have a timeframe for when that will be but are working to complete the repair and inspection as soon as possible while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our guests.

While we wait for this repair and approval, the Arrow and Gemini lifts will be servicing the Winter Park base. We will continue to provide updates on this blog as to repair status and when we anticipate the Gondola will re-open.  We appreciate your understanding and patience at this time.