Reach for the sky

At times like these - that is to say when I'm in Europe and it's nearly 15 degrees centigrade warmer than normal, while in North America it's bucketing down with snow - my thoughts naturally turn to things like ski-lifts. Ski-lifts that go very high, mostly.

Some of these will remain just twinkles in Doppelmayr's eye - like the alleged concession to build a lift to the peak of the Matterhorn (4478m will do nicely, thankyou, though they'd need a fair bit of orange netting down the first 1500m of descent), while something like the Monterosa's Salati-Indren lift will be with us in a couple of seasons... maybe.

But uplift isn’t just about speed, efficiency and high-technology. It can be a charming, sometimes thrilling part of your mountain experience. Scary tin-cans on cables are the obvious contenders. Then there are the nostalgic sideways-chairs (you take your skis off, for this type, if you know what's good for your lower-limbs); sometimes they throw a rug over your knees, which can be quite scary in itself depending on who you're sharing with.

So here are some favourites - please add your own in the comments section.
Epic: Courmayeur's Cresta d’Arp and, on the Mont Blanc side, the entire Helbronner series of lifts
Quirky: Heiligenblut’s gondolas - through a tunnel in the mountain
Vintage: Punta Indren, Alagna and the classic bucket lift below; Kandersteg’s sideways double chairs, with awning, oilskin weather protection and sideways clunk-click-every-trip safety bars

Safety bars: an unexpected aspect to riding lifts in the US is that no-one likes to use the safety bars. Sometimes they don't even have them. Very strange in a land renowned for ambulance chasing lawyers, and disconcerting for anyone with a touch of vertigo. And if you think there's nothing to worry about, google 'chairlift, accident' for a bit of a fright.
Whatever you do, bar or no bar, just don't forget to get off...