Grouse Mountain Resort is welcoming back guests to the popular alpine attraction after its tram system closed for nearly two days in peak tourist season due to a maintenance issue.
The Skyride reopened Tuesday at 1 p.m., along with mountaintop attractions and facilities at the resort’s chalet.
“Following required maintenance and testing of the Skyride, we were able to identify and fix the issue,” said Grouse spokesperson Madelaine Twomey.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused our guests. Thanks to the hard work and diligence of our team, we were able to keep our closure time to a minimum,” she said by email.
When the tram came to a halt at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, hundreds of people were stuck at the top of the mountain. Most of them decided to make the trek down, a strenuous descent with an 800-metre change in elevation.
Not everyone made it down on their own.
District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue services were called out to rescue a woman in her 40s who had broken her ankle descending the BCMC Trail, only to stumble across two other hikers who were suffering from exhaustion and needing help.
North Shore Rescue was called to assist, and the teams managed to get all of the patients off the mountain safely.
In 2022, Grouse Mountain began work on a brand new $35-million gondola. When it comes online, its 27 eight-person cabins will be capable of carrying 1,000 guests per hour, making the trip in 5.5 minutes.
