The movie "Frozen" is not real, but it did have me trying to problem solve. In the movie, three people got caught on a chair lift about 50 feet up in the middle of the night when the resort shut everything down. The resort was not set to open for another 5 days in the middle of the winter. The people in the movie had NO survival preparation.

What would you bring with you to deal with a situation where you're stuck up there on a ski lift? It would help the discussion if you have gone skiing several times so that you're familiar with how these lifts operate. Let's just assume this predicament could happen for the sake of the thread. I'd rather not discuss reasons why this predicament could never happen, and actually chair lifts have gotten stuck before and have left people stranded for hours.

Here's most of what I carry while snowboarding:

-regular snowboard gear (proper clothing, goggles, helmet, etc.)
-cell phone
-whistle
-small mirror
-small flashlight
-small fire starters
-miniature multi-tool
-credit card and cash
-identification

Try not to laugh at what I'm about to say. I've thought about adding some 550 paracord in order to do an emergency rappel from about 50 feet up. The problem is that I don't know how to do an emergency rappel. I'm confident I could tie appropriate knots. My biggest obstacle would be my personal strength and the rope strength, I think.

Your thoughts and instructions are welcomed.

People without functioning brains have a high propensity for dying. Let the ski lift people deal with the bodies next week.

Sue

I will assume that all efforts at signaling for help with cell phones, whatever has failed and there is no sign of help.

I will also assume that survival requires getting down without outside help.

You probably have the best part of 50 feet of clothing and poles to tie together, slither down, and drop to the snow.

I'd try my flashlight or mirror and my cellphone before trying to get down myself. Remember that your phone may be able to reach 911 even if it says "no service". You may also be able to send text messages even if you don't have voice connectivity.

This is another situation where a PLB would make a problem much easier to solve.

One option would be to ditch my skis, throw my belt over the cable and try to slide down to the next T-bar and climb down that. It would depend on how steep the lift is at that point and whether the T-bars have ladders on them (many of the ones I've seen do). I'd also need to wear a belt, which I do almost every day that I'm not skiiing.

Another option would be to jump off and try to hit at an angle that would allow me to ski down and avoid injury. Throwing the skis clear and trying to land on soft and fluffy snow would be another alternative. Neither sounds like a good idea from 50 feet up.

I'd be extraordinarily reluctant to trust poles or pole straps to hold a human's weight, and equally reluctant to take my clothes off in order to climb down.

I knew you are going to talk about that movie lol, the entire premises of the movie is based on literally everyone at the resort failing to do their job, and false facts.

It's literally impossible to happen unless you try hard (i.e. sneak onto the lift after they close). But even if it does, just climb on the lift cable onto the next tower, then use the ladder to get down.

As far as signal goes, whistle, flashlight, and cellphone are my regular ski gear, always on my person.

Yeah, it's out there, but let's just assume it's possible to get stranded. By the way, it has happened occasionally where a lift has gotten stuck and people are stranded for hours.

I've thought about the idea of climbing the cable to the closest tower, but I don't think that's as easy as it sounds. It would be freakin' scary as hell because it's way up there and everything metal would be slippery. It wouldn't be like doing pull-ups in a warm gym where I get to drop when I feel like it. I'd have to be flawless at a brand new activity that would be unlike anything I've ever done. Once I reach the tower, the ladder is not right there where the cable is. I'd have to perform a super human climbing maneuver to get over to the ladder, while cold and exhausted, and while everything metal is slippery.

Hmmm...One hundred feet of 550 paracord is about as light as my cell phone. I just don't know how to perform an emergency rappel.

A PLB sounds a lot safer than an emergency repel with 550 paracord, and shouldn't have much of a weight penalty.

Also, climbing on steel cable is not like climbing a hemp rope. The occasional frayed wire will penetrate skin. Gloves will help from short ones, but they're not all short. BTDT

Actually, this situation is not quite as far fetched as I'd thought after seeing the movie. A few days back I saw a news story where tourist ended up stuck overnight in one of the gondolas at Whistler.

She accidentally got on the one headed up the mountain (which was about to shut down) instead of the one going down the mountain (which was still running for a few more hours) and I guess no one noticed and shut down the upper section while she was mid-way up the mountain.

The situation was a little better than the one in "Frozen" though; it was only shut down overnight instead of for 5 days and there were likely no man-eating wolves circling below . Still, I wouldn't think 13 hours in an unheated gondola with temperatures dipping to -9 C (16 F) would be that much fun.

As far as what to do, I don't think I'd try getting down unless I had a really good reason to think I couldn't signal someone for help or be otherwise be discovered within a reasonable amount of time. For this, EDC items like a flashlight, whistle and cell phone would be the most likely to help. Staying warm would be the tricky part, maybe some spare hand/toe warmers and a Heatsheet would help for this (assuming otherwise appropriate gear is worn).

And then, realistically, by the time I figured rescue was not going to happen I kinda doubt I'd be in great shape physically to make an escape anyway. That said, I guess the key would be getting as close to the ground as possible before dropping (I think I recall hearing that 30 feet is on the borderline of where the possibility of avoiding serious injury becomes somewhat reasonable?). Unless I had at least 30 feet of rope or paracord on me, I don't know if I'd even try this.

550 paracord would take your weight, but it's too thin to actually hold on to. Unless you have vice grip hands, it'll just slide through your fingers (unless you have enough to tie loops for hands and feet).

One option would be to pack in a large enough and strong enough carbineer or two to actually hold in your hand. Wrap the cord 5 or 6 times through the carbineer (see attached picture). If the paracord is held taut from below the carbineers, they should hold. So if you have two, hold your weight on one and slide the other one down, then repeat.

The need to keep the line taut is the gaping flaw in this plan, it either requires experience holding it taught with your feet, or maybe attaching plenty of weights to the bottom = dangerous if you fall). And paracord might be too slippery to hold, but this might still slow your descend enough to make it safe.

Obviously, I'm just speculating here. I have no idea if this would actually work, I've seen experienced rock climbers doing it for fun (sliding down at breakneck speeds and then with the flick of an ankle slowing down just in time for a featherweight landing).

Actually. Now that I've wrote all that and took the photo, I'd probably just tie the paracord around me in an improvised harness and attach it to the cable with the carbineer. That way you don't fall if you slip as you crawl, not run, to the nearest tower.

Better throw everything pointy, hard or awkward well away from any place you might fall on before attempting anything.

EDIT: Here.

The carbineer pictured is a tad too small for me, can fit my fingers through but hurts like hell, especially if I would have my whole weight on them.

2ND EDIT:
Although probably obvious, should have mentioned that the rock climbers weren't using paracord and carbineers like that, but professional, purpose-made gear and climbing ropes.

-jh