Montana’s Big Sky Resort, located 50 miles from Bozeman, continues to raise the bar for ski area infrastructure with its Madison 8 – the longest eight-person chairlift in the world.
Stretching an impressive 2,630 meters, this high-performance Doppelmayr lift features guest-centric amenities. This new chairlift not only reflects a shift toward more comfortable, efficient and safe experiences, but the new adjustable height boarding platform and advanced Fatzer haul rope also support both operational precision and long-term maintenance benefits.
Big Sky Resort vice president of mountain operations Adam West says their previous Six Shooter lift was nearing the end of its operational life and had created a significant bottleneck in the resort’s lift network. “We saw an opportunity to dramatically improve the guest experience while increasing uphill capacity in one of our most popular terrain pods. This investment aligns with our commitment to developing the most technologically advanced lift system in North America and marks a milestone in our 2025 development plan,” he said.
Big Sky Resort chose Doppelmayr’s D-Line technology as it represents the pinnacle of chairlift engineering. “We wanted to give our guests the absolute best experience possible,” West said. “Our goals were to reduce ride times and increase comfort with heated seats and weather protection, much like we have at our other two D-Line installations: Ramcharge 8 and Swiftcurrent 6.”
To date, West says guest feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since its opening last December. “While lift features are what Big Sky Resort guests have come to expect, the reduced ride time and increased capacity are always the most appreciated qualities of a new lift,” he said.
Many features
The Madison 8 has many impressive, unique features, such as heated seats, footrests and headrests, which guests love, and automated safety bars.
“This lift features eight heated seats that create a comfortable ride regardless of weather conditions,” West said. “The bar automatically lowers, ensuring safety for the riders. Optionally, you can lower the bubble to make the ride more comfortable and stay out of the wind. The adjustable loading platform ensures smooth boarding for guests of all sizes, while the Fatzer Performa-DT rope system provides an incredibly quiet ride. At 8,631 feet, it’s also the world’s longest eight-place chairlift.”
The Fatzer Performa-DT rope has also had an impressive impact on noise levels, vibration and maintenance. While the rope may be one of those things that skiers don’t notice at first, when they do, it’s clearly a quieter, smoother ride. “While it’s still too soon to really gauge an impact on maintenance, we are optimistic that the reduced vibration will have a positive downstream effect on sheave assemblies and drive components,” said West.
Madison 8 serves as a critical artery connecting our base area to mid-mountain terrain while reducing pressure on our other lifts.
Adam West, Big Sky Resort
The adjustable loading platform has also been a great upgrade for families and instructors. He says being able to make a lift as large as Madison 8 – also right-sized for kids – has reduced the occurrence of slows and stops, and contributed to more efficient operation of the lift. “And while the automated safety bar is taking some getting used to for our guests, who haven’t seen something like this before, it has brought a lot of peace of mind to operators who no longer have to worry if kids can reach the bar or get the message to lower it,” West said.
And if this isn’t enough, the new lift also helps to reduce load times and improve skier flow in that zone of the mountain. The eight-person capacity and six meters per second operating speed have dramatically improved uphill traffic flow. “We’ve reduced ride times by 30% compared to Six Shooter, while moving significantly more skiers per hour. This has had a positive ripple effect throughout our entire lift network. By making this area of the mountain more attractive, we have also reduced bottlenecks elsewhere on the mountain that we did not anticipate.”
Challenges and lessons learned
The installation of this new system has not been without its challenges. Fortunately, this was not the resort’s first D-Line lift, so the team was already well-versed in the operation of this type of lift. However, there were a few hiccups with new lift installations, but the mechanics quickly resolved issues and kept the lift spinning all season long.
West says the biggest challenge for the installation was the schedule. On this shaded side of the mountain, construction couldn’t begin until June, when the snow melted, and the old Six-Shooter lift was removed. “This gave us only six months to build these large structures at the top and bottom. Buildings like this would typically take a year to build, so with only six months, it was an all-hands-on-deck approach. Good design and construction partners were the key to our success.”
The resort team also had to prepare for training, testing and running this feature-rich lift. While the lift was still under construction, Doppelmayr hosted a team of Big Sky mechanics at their Salt Lake City headquarters for some D-Line-specific training. This, coupled with the team’s experience with two other D-Lines on the property, prepared them well for this new installation. West also says it’s important to consider the ripple effects throughout the lift network.
For example, improving one lift often redistributes skier traffic in ways one might not anticipate, which can be both positive and challenging. “The investment is substantial, but the operational efficiency and guest satisfaction improvements make it worthwhile for resorts serious about remaining competitive in the destination market,” said West. West also says that Madison 8 is a cornerstone of their infrastructure modernization plan.
“Madison 8 serves as a critical artery connecting our base area to mid-mountain terrain while reducing pressure on our other lifts. Strategically, it positions us to handle increased visitation while maintaining service levels our guests expect. This lift also demonstrates our commitment to premium guest experiences, which is essential as we compete with other destination resorts. It’s part of our broader strategy to ensure Big Sky remains a world-class destination for the next generation of skiers and riders.”
West says that while they had a bit of an easier go, it’s important for resorts to invest heavily in staff preparation and to never underestimate the operational training requirements.
“Guest communication is also crucial during the transition period as many skiers are not familiar with automated safety bars and need clear instructions until the word gets out. You can’t overlook good build partners either. To build a lift of this size in just one summer, you need the best of the best. This means don’t skimp on architects, engineers, project managers or builders.”
