Skiing clearly entails some chilly weather, but can you handle -60 degrees Fahrenheit? While zooming down the slopes in freezing weather is exhilarating, the real pain is when you're stuck sitting on a metal ski lift with chattering teeth. With these ski lifts around the world, you're sure to be counting the milliseconds until you can immediately hop off.
From Vermont, the USA, to Harbin, China, these ski lifts are considered to be the coldest in the world. Whether you're a skiing expert or a complete novice, we highly suggest you pack in the sweater layers and bundle up if you're heading to any of these skiing locations. According to seasoned international skiers, these are the top ten coldest ski lifts in the world.
10 Riksgränsen Ski Resort - Riksgränsen, Sweden
Located just 200 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, Sweden’s Riksgränsen Ski Resort is both scenic and absolutely freezing. Due to its bone-chillingly cold weather, the ski season is more prolonged, starting in February and ending in June. Of course, this does mean that you'll be enduring the coldest weather your brain can fathom. The temperatures at the peak of Riksgränsen Ski Resort's ski lift can drop to nearly -60 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter.
9 Stratton Mountain Resort - Vermont, USA
Stratton Mountain Resort is a scenic getaway with picturesque landscapes, a snow-covered village with shopping and dining, and arguably the most traumatizing ski lift imaginable. Although the temperature doesn't beat Sweden's Arctic Circle, this resort's skiing mountain in Vermont can reach -4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don't scoff at this number because while it may be tolerable for the ski-diehards, the ski lift does last an extensive eight minutes with fierce wind exposure. If you're planning a skiing trip to Vermont, perhaps skiing down Stratton Mountain just once is enough.
8 Green Mountain – Vermont, USA
Green Mountain at Jay Peak is notorious for its freezing temperatures. At Green Mountain, The Flyer ski lift has also been nicknamed "The Freezer," and it's easy to see why. The ski lift's brutal journey is 7,350 feet long and is considered one of the longest ski lifts in the Northeast U.S.
Not only is it abnormally long, but it's also ruthlessly freezing cold. The winds can be so strong at times that it moves the ski lift chairs backward. If you think you can handle the cold, you will be rewarded with one of the best skiing slopes in the United States.
7 Loveland Pass – Colorado, USA
You may not be feeling the love in Loveland, Colorado, because you'll be too busy crying ice tears. The ski lift, named Chair 9, first opened in 1998 and was considered the highest ski lift in the United States at the time. Now, it's placed second in the ranking, but the Loveland ski lift will still take you up as high as 12,700 feet in the freezing air.
Although it can be unbearably cold on Chair 9, the ski lift will take you to the peak of the Continental Divide, where you can witness the magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and ski resorts.
6 Whiteface Mountain - New York, USA
Also known as "Iceface", Whiteface Mountain is New York's fifth-highest mountain, and of course, that means some of the coldest weather in the world. This mountain holds the record for the deepest inches of snow. Back on April 20th, 1943, Whiteface Mountain had 119 inches, aka 9.9 feet of snow.
Nowadays, the mountain's peak can reach temperatures as low as -114 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill. We would only recommend riding this gnarly ski lift if you're a warm-blooded ski aficionado. Whiteface can be this insanely cold due to its 4,865-foot elevation, northern exposure, and killer wind speeds.
5 Tête De Balme - Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France
We're back in Europe with this ice-cold ski lift in Chamonix, France. When riding Tête de Balme, there's zero coverage from the strong winds. While this ski lift does promise breathtaking views in the spring, once a winter blizzard rolls around, all you'll be able to think about is the freezing-cold winds. Skiers have also noted that the Tête de Balme ski lift also runs notoriously slow in windy weather, making the trip up the French summit that much more unbearable.
4 Sugarloaf Ski Area - Maine, USA
With thirteen ski lifts available in Sugarloaf, the coldest is agreed to be the Timberland Quad. This ski area is located on the Longfellow Mountains in Maine and experiences plenty of stark winds and snowfall. With a vertical drop of 3,000 feet, it's no wonder why Sugarloaf is such a popular ski location despite the grueling cold. The Timberland ski lift goes above the treeline and brings you face-to-face with the wild windchill.
3 Breckenridge – Colorado, USA
This t-bar ski lift will stay open even during the windiest winter days when other ski lifts are shut down. Due to it being a surface lift, the ski lift at Breckenridge will put you through some seriously cold temperatures. Moving at three miles per hour, you'll be reaching up to 12,000 feet and experiencing frequent stops due to beginners often needing more time to get adjusted on the t-bar. As a result, you're stuck in the freezing air, and even your top-tier skiwear isn't cutting it. Although Breckenridge is considered one of the best ski resorts in Colorado, you better pack knowing that it's also the coldest.
2 Yabuli Ski Resort - Harbin, China
Located in northeast China, Harbin is considered one of the coldest places to ski. Yabuli Ski Resort is two hours from Harbin and only six hours from the Russian border. As you can imagine, saying that it gets pretty darn cold is an understatement. During the cold seasons, it can get as low as -76 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountains.
It is so cold that children are highly recommended not to ski at the resort due to its intense cold. While adults are more than welcome, plenty of skiers reach the peak and change their minds because they can't handle the freezing cold. As the largest ski resort in China, it's also known as the absolute coldest, and so is its near-inhumane ski lift.
1 Mont Tremblant - Quebéc, Canada
Now, giving Yabuli Ski Resort a run for its money is Mont Tremblant. Mont Tremblant is the highest mountain summit in Quebéc and, of course, packs in the cold. As the largest ski resort in the city, Mont Tremblant offers ninety-four trails and thirteen different ski lifts.
However, the coldest ski lift is agreed to be the Duncan Express which averages around -4 degrees Fahrenheit on a good day. When you're freezing cold and sitting on the 8,000-feet long metal ski lift, you may be wondering what you're even doing there in the first place.