Trav's short answer
The Red Skyride is getting replacement cabins; the Blue Grouse Gondola provides access during installation.The reports say a reopening date will follow. Check Today on Grouse for the operating route before you travel.
Grouse Mountain lift news
New cabins for a familiar Vancouver landmark
Grouse Mountain’s Red Skyride is receiving replacement passenger cabins. Reports published on 30 September describe the installation, and 2 October coverage shows the new cabins being unwrapped. For visitors, the immediate question is how to get up the mountain while that work takes place.
The update concerns the large Red Skyride cars. Detailed specifications and a reopening date are still awaited.
The upgrade at a glance
Details checked 2 October 2026The cabin upgrade
What is changing on the Red Skyride?
The familiar tram cars are being replaced as part of an upgrade to the existing Red Skyride. The latest coverage describes new cabins with angled front and rear windows. It also reports that Doppelmayr Canada has highlighted the installation as a milestone in the tramway’s modernisation.
Which details are still to come?
The reports reviewed for this article leave the reopening date and full cabin specifications unannounced. That means there is no verified new passenger capacity or journey time to publish yet. The resort’s existing Skyride page describes a 100-person tramway; that is background on the established system, rather than a specification for the replacement cars.
Getting up the mountain
The Blue Grouse Gondola provides access during installation
The resort announcement, as reported by ski news outlets, directs mountain access through the Blue Grouse Gondola while the Red Skyride cabins are installed. Visit Today on Grouse before leaving for the mountain to check operations for your travel date.
How are the two lifts different?
Grouse Mountain’s December 2024 opening announcement explains the distinction: the gondola circulates small cabins on a continuous loop, while the Red Skyride uses two large passenger cabins on an aerial tramway.
| Access system | Format | Relevant background |
|---|---|---|
| Red Skyride | Large-cabin aerial tramway | Opened in 1976; replacement cabins being installed |
| Blue Grouse Gondola | Continuous-loop gondola | Opened in December 2024 with 27 eight-person cabins |
The published 2024 specifications give the gondola an average trip time of 5.5 minutes and an initial capacity of 1,000 passengers an hour. Those figures describe the gondola, rather than the upgraded Red Skyride.
A milestone year
A 50-year tramway in Grouse Mountain’s centennial year
The resort’s official centennial history places the original mountain lodge in 1926 and the Red Skyride’s arrival in 1976. The cabin project therefore comes as Grouse celebrates 100 years and its Red Skyride marks half a century.
The newer gondola is another chapter in that history. It opened on 12 December 2024, following a project that broke ground in September 2022. For anyone returning after a few years away, it is worth checking the current mountain map and arrival instructions before heading to a familiar lift entrance.
Planning a Grouse Mountain visit
What should skiers and sightseeing visitors check?
Check live operations
Use the resort’s daily information to confirm the access lift and activities available on your date.
Choose the right ticket
Match your purchase to sightseeing, skiing or snowboarding, and check its inclusions.
Mountain access and ski access are different purchases
The Mountain Admission page includes a return journey via the Red Skyride or Blue Grouse Gondola, along with access to open mountaintop attractions. That helps explain how a sightseeing visit works, but anyone planning to ski should select the appropriate snowsports product.
Grouse’s standard Annual Pass information explicitly excludes skiing and snowboarding. Read your chosen product’s terms carefully, particularly if your itinerary combines city sightseeing with a day on snow.
For a winter 2026/27 trip, confirm ski-area opening information separately from the tram upgrade. An access lift reopening and the start of ski operations are different milestones.
Red Skyride FAQs
Common questions about the cabin upgrade
What is changing on Grouse Mountain’s Red Skyride?
Reports describe replacement passenger cabins being installed on the existing Red Skyride tramway. A full specification for the replacement cabins was not available in the sources checked on 2 October 2026.
When will the upgraded Red Skyride reopen?
The installation reports say an opening date will be announced. No confirmed reopening date was found in the sources checked for this article.
Can you still reach Grouse Mountain during the work?
The Blue Grouse Gondola is providing mountain access during the Red Skyride cabin installation, according to the resort announcement reported by ski news outlets. Check the live operating page before travelling.
Is the Blue Grouse Gondola the same as the Red Skyride?
They are separate access systems. The Blue Grouse Gondola has small cabins circulating on a continuous loop, while the Red Skyride is a large-cabin aerial tramway.
Does a sightseeing ticket include skiing?
Choose a ticket or pass that explicitly covers skiing or snowboarding. Grouse Mountain’s standard Annual Pass does not include those activities, even though it includes mountain access.
Trav's final summary
Check the latest access information before your visit
The cabin installation is the news to follow. Keep an eye on the resort’s announcements for the reopening date, and use its live information and ticket terms to plan your own mountain visit.