TL;DR
Video circulating online shows a chairlift at the Gongchangling Hot Spring and Ski Resort in Liaoning, China, suddenly reversing direction and running rapidly downhill, forcing riders to jump from their seats. Resort staff say no injuries were reported following the incident.
Chairlift Rollback Sends Skiers Jumping For Safety at Chinese Ski Resort
Video posted to social media last week shows a chairlift at the Gongchangling Hot Spring and Ski Resort in Liaoyang, Liaoning province, running rapidly in reverse — the wrong direction — while staff shout at riders to jump clear. The lift was shut down immediately after the incident, and resort staff confirmed on Wednesday that no injuries were reported.
The footage is uncomfortable viewing. Chairs swinging backward down the line, staff yelling, riders dropping to the snow. It's the kind of thing most people assume can't happen at a modern ski resort, which is exactly why it's worth understanding how it does.
What Is a Chairlift Rollback?
A rollback is when a ski lift suddenly reverses direction instead of continuing uphill. Under normal operation, a combination of drive motors, gearboxes, brake systems, and anti-rollback devices keep a loaded chairlift moving in one direction. When one or more of those systems fail — a motor giving out, a gearbox malfunction, brakes not engaging as they should — gravity takes over.
