Attitash Mountain Upgrades Lauded and Lamented Summit Triple

The local Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewing Company “Slow Chair Tripel” Belgian strong ale might need a name change this winter, as New Hampshire’s Attitash Mountain has finally upgraded its famed Summit Triple chair lift -- a much needed lift upgrade, marking the end of an era for one of the most criticized, and beloved, chairlifts in New England, affecting thousands skiers and riders each season.

The Summit Triple provided a peaceful ride with scenic views but frequently experienced mechanical breakdowns, leading to frustration and complaints from skiers and snowboarders. Despite this, it was an iconic part of the resort's history, and its replacement brings significant changes to the ski area. The Summit Triple was a CTEC fixed-grip lift installed in 1986.

The new lift, the much-touted Mountaineer, is a high-speed quad chairlift supplied by Leitner-Poma, which offers a much faster ride to the top of the mountain (more than 50 percent increase in speed, in fact) and, with that, a reduction in wait times in lift lines. The Mountaineer is named to honor the historic railway that travels through the Valley and will provide top-to-bottom access on the Attitash Peak, with 22 towers and a vertical rise the height of the Empire State Building. The new lift also has a significantly higher capacity than its creaky predecessor, carrying up to 2,400 people per hour compared to the Summit Triple's 1,500 people per hour. The ride time on the Mountaineer Express is just a little more than six minutes, a drastic improvement from the Summit Triple's 18-minute voyage.

"The Mountaineer is everything we expected and hoped it would be," said Brandon Swartz, General Manager of Attitash Mountain. “It provides access to our signature upper mountain terrain, has significantly improved the flow across the mountain, and provides a more comfortable ride up to the summit. It has truly been a game-changer for us here at Attitash.” The chairs of the Summit Triple were sold in an auction, with the proceeds going to charity, benefitting the EpicPromise Employee Foundation, the Bartlett Jackson Ambulance, and the Bartlett Firefighters Association.

Vail says this new lift will bring numerous advantages to the small but beloved Attitash, including improved flow, shorter wait times, and a ride to the top, a mere third of what it was for the Summit Triple. While this might leave less time for some folks who like to chat or crack things open on the lift, surely the benefits will pay off for all involved quickly, especially on cold and windy days.

In the last two years, nine resorts in the Vail Resorts East region have received or will receive a total of 16 lift upgrades: Hunter, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Boston Mills, and Brandywine – and two back-to-back upgrades at Attitash over the past two seasons, although many locals expected them sooner despite pandemic-related setbacks.

Hopefully, the Slow Chair Tripel will return to the brewing rotation at Moat Mountain again, if only so that locals can lift a pint in honor of the days when the bullwheel spun slightly slower.

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