CASTLE’S FIRST HIGH-SPEED LIFT AND 25% MORE LIFT-ACCESSED, SKIABLE TERRAIN IS COMING IN DECEMBER 2025.
Castle Mountain Resort is embarking on a transformative chairlift project, to enhance the skiing and riding experience of its guests, through the installation of a high-speed quad chairlift into its existing cat skiing terrain, on Mt. Haig. This new lift will provide access to more terrain, alleviate base area congestion, and capitalize on a deeper snowpack. The new lift will give access to a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain, showcasing amazing views of Rainy Ridge, Mount Haig, and the West Castle Valley, as well as lots of great skiing / snowboarding.
The lift project, currently called Haig 1, will see Sunshine Village’s former Angel Express Quad Chairlift upgraded and installed prior to the start of the 2025/2026 season. The Haig 1 Lift Project represents Castle’s single largest on-mountain infrastructure investment in the resorts’ near 60-year history. Additionally, the resort’s lift serviced, skiable area will increase by more than 25%, with Haig 1 representing the first lift installation at the resort, since the 2006/07 season (Huckleberry Chair). While the project is currently known as the Haig 1 Lift, Castle expects to seek the input of guests and stakeholders in determining a formal name for this new lift.
Planning and design have been underway for several months, with preliminary on-mountain work having already begun. Refurbishment of lift components will occur throughout the winter season, with installation starting after cat skiing operations are completed, in the spring of 2025.
For the 2024/25 season, Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing operation will operate 5 days / week from late December to mid-March, as originally planned. While work on this project will not affect operations this winter, this will mark the final season of operations for Castle’s Powder Stagecoach.
Castle Mountain Resort is proud to be taking on this project, utilizing its fantastic team, augmented with subject matter experts to ensure the success of the project. The lift will receive mechanical, electrical, and operational upgrades in order to be ready to go for December 2025.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT DOES THE HAIG 1 LIFT PROJECT INVOLVE?
The Haig 1 Lift will be a reconstruction of the former Angel Express Quad Chairlift, which we committed to purchasing in January 2024, in our current cat skiing terrain. Included in the project is the construction of an access road, the development of a few new runs (including a new run connecting the top of Huckleberry Chair to the base of the new lift) and, of course, the installation of the chairlift itself. The chair will include a top and bottom terminal, top and bottom operator buildings, and 20 towers.
HOW WILL I GET TO THE NEW LIFT?
The Haig 1 Lift will be accessible by a new trail from the top of the Huckleberry Chair. This is located to the skiers / riders right of the existing Ghostrider Glades.
WHAT KIND OF LIFT ARE YOU INSTALLING?
This new-to-us lift is a Poma detachable high-speed quad chairlift. You may recall, back in January of 2024, when we announced that we had acquired the chair from our friends at Sunshine Village.
HOW FAST WILL THE NEW LIFT BE?
In between the load and unload stations, while affixed to the cable, the lift runs at up to 5 meters / second (about 18 km/hr). As the chair enters the loading and unloading stations, it slows to around 1 meter / second (about 4 km/hr), making for a significantly easier loading and unloading experience. We are anticipating a ride time of about 6 minutes.
For reference, our fixed grip chairs (Sundance (Blue), Tamarack (Red), Huckleberry, and Green) all run at around 2.5 meters / second (9 km/hr).
WHAT COLOUR WILL THE NEW CHAIR BE?
We have decided to paint it gray, to match the existing colour of the galvanized metal. The colour will be visible on some parts of the drive and return stations while the towers and chairs will be galvanized gray. Plus, in true Castle fashion, we don’t have a Gray Chair yet!
WHAT WILL THE NAME OF THIS NEW LIFT BE?
While we’re currently calling this lift “Haig 1”, this is simply a reference to the name given to the lift in Castle’s master development plan. The name of the new lift is still to be decided. Great things take time!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?
This project has been developed within Alberta Environment and Parks guidelines and requirements, in order to best protect the incredible environment that we live and play in. We have undertaken several wildlife and vegetation studies to understand our surroundings, and so that we can mitigate the effects associated with this project.
This project is also making use of a used lift, and extensively refurbishing it, rather than buying new.
WHAT TYPE OF RUNS / TRAILS WILL THE NEW TERRAIN HAVE?
We expect to have a good mix of terrain available to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs. While we don’t have an exact number of trails that will come on-line, we do know that these will be a great addition to the 95+ trails already at our resort, and that we expect our total lift-accessed terrain to increase by more than 25%.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CAT SKIING?
While Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing operation will run as planned this season, this will be the last season for cat skiing operations, at the resort.
HOW LONG WILL THIS LIFT BE?
The lift is approximately 1,450m long (4757 feet), and rises around 550 m (1805 feet) in elevation from the base station to the top.
WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO RIDE IT?
The Haig 1 Lift is expected to be in operation by December 2025.
CAN I BE INVOLVED AS A CONTRACTOR?
This project is a huge endeavor and can’t be done without the help of our friends. We are accepting expressions of interest for any contractors who might be able to assist in the installation process. If you think you or your company might be able to assist in the construction, please take the time to contact us.
