Bird's-eye view
Some of the world's greatest mountains are popular for their skiing, but for many people, the allure of these places is not the slopes, but the view from a chairlift or aerial tram. In any season, the mountain scenery seen from such a vantage point is a novelty that never loses its allure.
Though most people associate gondola lifts with alpine landscapes, this unique form of transport can also be found on flat land and in urban environments. These non-alpine trams do not offer views of snow-covered mountains peaks, but their unique vantage point makes them as interesting to experience as their higher-altitude peers.
Here are 10 aerial tramways that provide utterly unmatchable views.
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1. Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, South Africa
Photo: Wiki Commons
Table Mountain gives Cape Town one of the most dramatic skylines of any city in the world. The views of this picture-worthy metropolis are the most stunning when seen from the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. This South African gondola lift climbs nearly 2,500 vertical feet. The cableway has a colourful history, with the original tram making the first journey up the mountain in 1928. Not only can riders on the 65-passenger tram see the massive seaside metropolis of Cape Town as they ascend, but they can also view the Atlantic coastline to the west and the south, Table Bay, and Robben Island. Even with all these noteworthy sights, the dramatic cliffs of the mountain itself are the undisputed highlight.
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2. Sandia Peak Tramway, New Mexico
Photo: Wiki Commons
This 2.7-mile tramway travels to an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. Used to reach New Mexico's underrated ski areas during the winter, this tram provides amazing views of the vast desert and the stunning peaks that sit right outside of Albuquerque. Riders can enjoy panoramas of the Rio Grande Valley and the expansive Cibola National Forest (in which Sandia Peak itself is located). The 4,000-foot change in altitude, experienced during the tram's 15-minute journey, has one surprising side effect: a significant temperature change. It can be as much as 30 degrees cooler at the top of Sandia Peak as it is at the tramway's lower terminus.
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3. Sugarloaf Mountain Tram, Rio de Janeiro
Sugarloaf Mountain, called Pão de Açúcar by Portuguese speakers, is an iconic part of the skyline of Rio de Janeiro. This towering granite rock formation rises about 1,300 feet above Guanabara Bay. Cable cars have been taking people up Sugarloaf for more than a century. Rio is a beautiful metropolis when seen in a panoramic view, and this peak is one of the best places to appreciate the city's unique mix of urban and natural scenery. The original turn-of-the-century tram system was completely rebuilt in the 1970s. This new incarnation was famously featured in the James Bond film “Moonraker.” The tramway was renovated in 2009, ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. The cars are quite large, and savvy tourists will tell you to make sure to get a window seat so you can enjoy the best views.
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4. Emirates Air Line, England
Also known as the Thames Cable Car, the Emirates Air Line is an urban tramway in London. It is a recent addition to the city's skyline. Opened in 2012, just ahead of the Summer Olympics, the tramway is sponsored, as its official name suggests, by UAE-based Emirates Airline. Each 10-person cable car crosses above the Thamas River between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks. Mainly used for sightseeing, riders get a bird’s-eye view of some of London's most iconic sights along the river. A handful of people use the Emirates Air Line for commuting.
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5. Klein Matterhorn Tramway
Photo: Wiki Commons
The most iconic views in the Swiss Alps can be seen through the windows of the Klein Matterhorn Tramway's cars. With an upper terminus at 12,533 feet above sea level, this is the highest cable car in Europe. It offers easy access to the viewing platform on the summit. Riders can make a multi-stage cable car journey all the way from the town of Zermatt to the viewing platform. Along the journey, you can catch views of the Theodul Glacier, the Plateau Rosa Glacier and the Alps peaks that surround the Klein Matterhorn. Skiers and visitors to the ice caves located on the mountain use the Tramway, though most people who ride do so for sightseeing purposes.
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6. Medellin Metrocable, Colombia
The aerial tram with some of the most dramatic and unusual views on this list was not built for the purpose of sightseeing. The Medellin Metrocable was built to supplement the city's public transportation system. Locals use the service to travel up the steep slopes of valley in which Medellin sits. By most estimates, 30,000 people ride the three lines of the cable car network every day. Built in 2004, the system was intended for use by residents of the poorer hillside neighbourhoods who did not have access to bus routes because of the extreme steepness of the local roads. But the cable cars are also attractive to sightseers, who are able to see panoramas of almost the entire city as well as the lush valley landscapes that characterize this part of northern South America.
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7. Queenstown Skyline Gondola, New Zealand
Climbing just over 1,500 vertical feet in only a few minutes, this aerial tram in New Zealand offers some stunning views. The Queenstown resort area sits on Lake Wakatipu, a body of water nestled in between the mountains of the Otago region of the South Island. The tram passes over the area's trademark fir forests, running up to a summit known as Bob's Peak. Many people try to time their ride so that they are either going up or coming down at sunset, when the shadows created by the surrounding mountains are especially dramatic. After dark, a portion of the mountain served by the Gondola is reserved especially for stargazing. No lights are allowed.
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8. Jackson Hole Aerial Tram
Jackson Hole Aerial Tram has become an important symbol of the famous Wyoming ski resort where it is located. First opened in the 1960s, the tram was updated in 2008. It climbs 4,100 vertical feet in about nine minutes, with the cable car able to hold up to 100 people. During the winter, the lift is mainly used by skiers heading to the upper slopes of the ski area on Rendezvous Mountain. In the summer, locals and tourists alike use the tram for sightseeing and also to access the higher-elevation trails and bike paths. During the ride, you can see the peaks of the Grand Tetons, the landscapes of Grand Teton National Park, the Snake River Valley and the town of Jackson.
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9. Mount Aso Ropeway, Japan
Photo: Wiki Commons
Mount Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan. Located on the southern island of Kyushu, it has one of the largest calderas of any volcano on Earth, stretching for about 75 miles in overall circumference. The Mount Aso Ropeway, built in the 1950s, travels to the rim of the volcano. The cars are quite large, able to carry up to 91 people. The 3,000-foot journey takes only about four minutes. Occasionally, the volcano becomes active and service on the Ropeway is suspended for safety reasons.
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10. Genting Skyway, Malaysia
Located in the Genting Highlands, a resort area in the interior hills of Peninsular Malaysia about 35 miles from Kuala Lumpur, the Genting Skyway was the fastest gondola lift in the world when it originally opened in the 1990s. It remains the longest and fastest aerial tram in Southeast Asia. The skyway's route stretches for more than 2 miles over Genting's lush highland forests. The eight-person cars take less than 15 minutes to make the journey from the lowland station to the top of the hill, where a resort, operated by the hugely successful Resorts World company, is located.
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