Ski tow (rope tow)
Remonte de esquí (telearrastre)
- Date
- 1908 · confidence medium
- Place
- Schollach, Eisenbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Credited to
- Robert Winterhalder
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
An endless rope, mechanically driven, that pulled skiers uphill, devised by Robert Winterhalder in the Black Forest. It opened the slope to downhill skiing without depending on the effort of climbing on foot.
It is attributed to Winterhalder at Schollach (1908) but some sources also cite early installations in Switzerland and the US; the first chairlift was installed at Sun Valley (1936).
What it led to
- ski resorts and snow tourism
- chairlifts (1936) and modern mechanical lifts