A view from the top of the new lift at Marmot Basin.

It’s called the Canadian Rockies Express, and it’s the new pride and joy of Alberta’s Marmot Basin ski resort.

The resort is celebrating the opening of the longest high-speed quad chairlift ever built in the Canadian Rockies. Built at a cost of CAN $8 million (£4.64m), The Canadian Rockies Express is the largest single investment ever undertaken at Marmot Basin. It continues years of increased investment, including the opening of the Eagle’s Ridge area, the largest terrain addition of any national park resort this decade.

Marmot Basin is located in the heart of Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From the ski area base, the lift travels 2.3 km (1.5 mi), taking skiers and boarders 596 vertical metres (1,955 ft) up to the mountain top in eight minutes. One of the very few new lifts in North America this winter, the lift was built using the most environmentally progressive construction techniques developed as part of an industry Best Practices Manual written collaboratively with Parks Canada.

With an increased carrying capacity of 4,800 people per hour from the base area, lift lines are said to be virtually eliminated as it now takes half the time to travel up from the base of the ski area to the top of the upper mountain. Runs for every caliber of skier or boarder, from beginner to expert, are available at the top with some stretching four kilometers long.

Since 2003, Marmot Basin, which overlooks the resort town of Jasper, has invested more than CAN $16 million (£9.28m) in visitor improvements.

“This was a massive project and I am absolutely thrilled with how much this new lift has improved the skiing experience at Marmot Basin,” said Dave Gibson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the resort. “We worked in complete cooperation with Parks Canada to employ the greenest construction techniques every step of the way in order to achieve an appropriate balance for both our ski area and for Jasper National Park.”

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