How to Use Chairlifts, Drag Lifts and Gondolas: A Lift Guide
Ski resorts have four types of lift: the magic carpet, the drag lift (T-bar), the chairlift and the gondola. Beginners master the magic carpet first, then the chairlift; the drag lift is the hardest because it takes balance. The basic rule on a chairlift: watch the chair over your shoulder, sit all the way back, lower the safety bar once everyone is seated, raise it as you approach the top and move away from the ramp straight away. On a snowboard, you ride the lifts with your back foot out of the binding. Under the Erciyes rules, children may not ride the lifts without an adult.
You stand on it with your skis on in the beginner area
Easiest
Chairlift
You sit on a chair and ride up
Easy (take care getting on and off)
Gondola (cabin)
You take your skis off and get into an enclosed cabin
Easy
Drag lift (T-bar, button lift)
You stand on your skis and are pulled up
Hardest (takes balance)
Magic carpet
This is the lift you will use most on day one. The Erciyes rules also recommend that beginners use the magic carpets before the other lifts.
Keep your skis parallel and step straight onto the middle of the carpet.
Bend your knees slightly and keep your weight centred; hold both poles in one hand.
At the end of the carpet, keep gliding to get clear of the area; do not keep the person behind you waiting.
Chairlift: step by step
Get ready: Take off your backpack or wear it on your front; take your pole straps off your wrists.
Move to the loading line: When it is your turn, glide forward to the marked line.
Watch the chair: Look over your shoulder at the approaching chair; sit down the moment it touches you.
Sit all the way back: Lean against the backrest and keep still.
Lower the bar: Once everyone is seated, lower the safety bar. The Erciyes rules also require the bar to be lowered after sitting down and raised just before getting off.
If you drop something, let it go: Never lean down or jump for a dropped pole or glove; tell the lift staff.
Get ready for the top: Raise the bar and keep your ski tips up.
Get off and move away: When your skis touch the ramp, stand up, lean slightly forward, glide off and move away from the ramp straight away; the next chair is coming behind you.
Drag lift (T-bar)
A drag lift pulls you up while you stand on your skis; you do not sit, you just lean against it.
Keep your skis parallel in the track, keep your weight centred and do not try to sit down.
Do not leave the track, and do not let go of the bar and send it swinging towards someone else.
If you fall, get out of the track immediately; do not try to get back on, but walk or ski to the side.
Get off only at the top; do not let the bar swing when you release it.
Gondola
The gondola is the most comfortable lift: you take your skis off and put them in the rack outside the cabin or take them inside with you. At Erciyes, skis and snowboards may not be carried in your hands on lifts other than the gondola; on the gondola, you board with your equipment.
For snowboarders
You ride the lifts with your back foot out of the binding and your front foot strapped in. The Swiss slope rules also require the back foot to be taken out of the binding on drag lifts and chairlifts; the Erciyes rules say one foot must be free when boarding.
Your snowboard needs to be attached to your foot with a leash; a board falling from a lift can cause a serious accident.
At Erciyes, the rules say children may not ride the lifts without an adult.
Under the Swiss rules, children shorter than 1.25 metres may ride a chairlift only with a companion who is able to help them.
The US ski areas association NSAA recommends that adults always help children when lowering the bar.
Lift and slope rules at Erciyes
The key points of Erciyes A.Ş.'s general rules: you board the first available chair or cabin, beginners use the magic carpets first, children may not ride the lifts without an adult, the safety bar is lowered once you are seated and raised just before getting off, and wearing a helmet is mandatory. Skiing off-piste and on closed slopes is entirely at your own risk. For the general rules on the slopes, see our guide The FIS 10 Rules for Conduct on the Slopes.
Your first lift ride on an activity holiday
Using the lifts for the first time is the moment most beginners feel most nervous about. On an activity holiday, you go through it with an instructor and a group: first the magic carpet, then your first chairlift ride with your instructor. On Doğadayız Erciyes basic course packages, an unlimited ski pass and use of the magic carpet are included; learning with people at the same level means you share the excitement of your first chairlift ride. That is also why our programmes are a social adventure holiday.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
As you approach the top, raise the safety bar and keep your ski tips up. When your skis touch the ramp, stand up, lean slightly forward, glide off and move away from the ramp straight away; the next chair is coming behind you.
How do you ride a chairlift on a snowboard?
You ride with your back foot out of the binding and your front foot strapped in. Your snowboard should be attached to your foot with a leash. When getting off, put your free foot on the board between the bindings and glide away.
What should I do if I fall off a drag lift?
Get out of the track immediately and do not try to get back on; move to the side and return to the bottom station by skiing down or walking. Staying in the track is dangerous for the people coming up behind you.
Can children ride a chairlift on their own?
Under the Erciyes rules, children may not ride the lifts without an adult. Under the Swiss rules, children shorter than 1.25 metres may ride a chairlift only with a companion who is able to help them.
A piste map has three layers: lifts (gondolas, chairlifts, drag lifts and magic carpets; usually straight lines), runs (blue, red and black by difficulty; often numbered) and services (rental, first aid, restaurants, meeting points). When reading the map, first find where you are and your return point, then the runs that suit your level and the lifts that take you up to them. The live board at the resort entrance shows which lifts and runs are open (green) or closed (red) and any avalanche warning; plan your day accordingly.
The FIS 10 rules for conduct are the rules of behaviour set by the International Ski Federation for skiers and snowboarders: respect for others, control of speed, choice of route, overtaking, entering the piste, stopping, climbing and descending on foot, respecting signs, assistance and identification. They are not law; however, around the world they are used as a benchmark when assessing liability in skiing accidents.
You start skiing with a beginner lesson with an instructor, rental equipment and easy (beginner) slopes. On day one you put on your skis, glide on flat ground, learn to stop with the snowplough and ride the magic carpet; on day two you come down an easy slope under control with snowplough turns. For an adult who has never skied, this stage usually takes 2 days.
