Australia's Newest Chairlift is Spinning as 2026 Ski Season Nears

Australia's newest chairlift is spinning, and the 2026 season is six weeks away.

At Charlotte Pass Snow Resort, the Guthries Double Chair is now circulating for the first time, marking the completion of what has been a longer-than-expected construction journey. Chairs are moving on the line following the wrap-up of works in late April, and the lift has entered testing and commissioning - the final stage before it can carry paying passengers.

It's a satisfying milestone to land this close to the season. With most Australian resorts targeting the June long weekend for opening day, having a brand-new lift in commissioning now means there's a genuine runway to get it certified and ready before the lifties pull on their bibs.

From groundworks to spinning wheels

By March, the hard structural work was largely done - the top station operator hut, bullwheel, tensioning system and all seven towers were in place. What remained was the technically demanding task of hauling and splicing the haul rope and attaching the chairs. That work is now complete, and what was a worksite a few weeks ago is now a functioning lift system waiting on final sign-off.

A year longer than planned

The project hit a wall in 2025 when regulatory challenges forced construction to halt, pushing the opening back a full season. Charlotte Pass general manager Lucy Blyton-Gray was clear at the time that the delay wasn't a resort-side failure: "Our team worked tirelessly alongside Doppelmayr to stay on track, but unfortunately, the extended approvals process - beyond our control - created unavoidable delays."

It's the kind of thing that happens with infrastructure projects in sensitive alpine environments, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating - particularly when you're sitting on a completed lift that can't turn a wheel.

What it means for the mountain

Charlotte Pass sits at the top end of Australian resort elevations, with the valley station at 1,765 metres. The Guthries terrain is a meaningful part of the mountain, and access to it on the existing infrastructure has always had its limits. The new chair is expected to open that terrain up more efficiently and take some pressure off the rest of the lift network - both things the resort has needed.

Whether it translates to noticeably better on-snow flow will depend on how the season shapes up, but it's hard to argue against having a new, modern lift in the mix.

A new trail map to match

Alongside the lift progress, Charlotte Pass has released an updated trail map ahead of the 2026 season. The terrain itself hasn't changed - the Guthries Chair serves the same runs it always has, including Exhibition, Ash Alley, and Lenny's Leap on the right side of the mountain. What the new map reflects is simply the infrastructure as it now stands, with the chairlift replacing the previous lift in that location. It's a small but appropriate update - the mountain looks different on paper now, even if the skiing hasn't changed.

Charlotte Pass is scheduled to open on Saturday, 20 June.