On Tuesday April 17, Whistler Blackcomb announced construction details of a brand new, record-breaking ski lift that will link together the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

Set to open in December 2008, the "Peak to Peak" gondola is scheduled to be operational more than a year before Whistler becomes Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Doppelmayr lift will include 28 cars carrying up to 28 passengers each. The lift will take 11 minutes to travel from peak to peak, with cars leaving approximately every 54 seconds.

When completed, the Peak to Peak gondola will be:

  • The longest free-span lift in the world - 3.024 kilometres (1.88 miles), with a total length of 4.4 km (2.73 miles)
  • The highest detachable lift in the world - 415 metres (1,361 feet) above the valley floor
  • The only gondola of its kind in North America

Website: Whistler Blackcomb Peak to Peak Gondola