The Sonnkogelbahn in the Schmitten area of the Zell am See-Kaprun ski resort is a unique ropeway installation: it changes configuration (gondola or chairlift) depending on the operating season. The 8-passenger cabins (CWA Omega V-8 SI D) are used during the summer to facilitate pedestrian transport. In winter, the cabins are completely stored within the lower station building, making room for chairs mainly used for ski traffic. These 6-seater chairs (DCD6-B-M-A-SL-SH-C) are equipped with protective bubbles, a semi-automatic fall-prevention system, and heated seats.

The Doppelmayr installation was completed in 2023, replacing a 1984 detachable triple chairlift (2,158 pph) from Doppelmayr’s first generation of automatic lifts, running along the same line.

The lift departs from the top station of the Sonnenalmbahn aerial tramway (built by Waagner Biro in 1957, with 48-person cabins), which ascends from Zell am See (947 m). It runs parallel to the Hochmaisbahn six-seater chairlift (Doppelmayr, 2005). The bottom station (1,378 m), which also houses the tensioning system, includes a chair storage area located beneath the turning station, connected via an inclined chain conveyor enclosed in a tall glass structure—designed to enhance the architectural aesthetics of the station beyond basic ropeway needs. The turning station features a double curve layout used during summer for pedestrian boarding and alighting; in winter, skier boarding is tangential, assisted by an alignment conveyor at the boarding point. The double-profile layout allows full storage of the cabins.

The top station (1,830 m), which contains the drive system, allows skiers to disembark in line with the lift. During gondola operation, the station extends laterally in an “L” shape to enable boarding and alighting, efficiently fitting into the limited space between existing buildings and the slope.

The drive system is a hybrid DSD (Doppelmayr Sector Drive), paired with a hydraulic diesel-powered emergency recovery.

TECHNICAL DATA

Vertical risem: 452
Line lenght: m 1.210
Speed: m/sec 5,0
Capacity in sommer: p/h 650
Capacity in winter: p/h 2.150
Chairs: 55
Cabins: 15
Towers: 12
Ø rope: mm 50
Drive: kW 630/486