Photo courtesy of Killington Resort.
Killington Resort reached a major construction milestone Tuesday when helicopters helped install the remaining towers for its new Snowdon Quad chairlift.
The Vermont resort said helicopter crews installed the final 10 of the lift’s 19 towers and crossarms Sept. 22. Four sheave trains were also moved into place separately. The helicopter removed three towers from the former Snowdon Triple, which Killington plans to reuse as terrain park features or recycle as scrap metal.
The new Snowdon Quad follows the same alignment as the lift it replaces and is being manufactured by Doppelmayr, the company that also built Killington’s Superstar Six.
Killington’s Sept. 23 announcement lists the Snowdon Quad as a $7.2 million project and says the lift is expected to open during the 2026-27 winter season.
Video courtesy of Killington Resort.
Why is Killington installing a new fixed-grip chairlift?
For a major new lift project, Killington made an interesting choice: The Snowdon Quad will remain a fixed-grip chairlift rather than becoming a faster detachable lift.
Killington says the decision is deliberate.
The resort wants to maintain fixed-grip lift access across the mountain because the simpler systems can provide dependable transportation during challenging New England weather. Killington says the Snowdon Quad will travel more slowly than the nearby Snowdon Six Express but will offer 33% more capacity than the former Snowdon Triple while providing a slightly quicker ride.
The lift will also have a backup generator capable of operating it at full speed during a power outage.
That makes the project less about maximizing chairlift speed and more about maintaining reliable access through an important section of the mountain.
Another major investment at Killington
The Snowdon Quad follows another significant lift upgrade at Killington.
The Superstar Six opened in November 2025, replacing the former Superstar Express Quad. Doppelmayr manufactured both lifts.
The improvements are particularly relevant to ski racing fans because Superstar is also the centerpiece of one of the most recognizable stops on the women’s World Cup tour.
World Cup returns to Killington in November
Less than two months after the helicopter work, the world’s best women’s technical racers will return to Killington for the Stifel Killington Cup.
Women’s giant slalom is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28, followed by slalom on Sunday, Nov. 29. Both races will take place on Superstar.
The Killington races come early in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup season. The women will open the World Cup giant slalom season in Sölden, Austria, Oct. 24 before racing slalom in Levi, Finland, Nov. 14, and Gurgl, Austria, Nov. 21. Killington follows one week later with the season’s second women’s giant slalom and third slalom.
That means Mikaela Shiffrin and the rest of the world’s leading women’s technical racers will arrive in Vermont with the season still taking shape.
Killington has become an important home stop for American ski racing fans, regularly attracting large crowds to the Superstar finish area over Thanksgiving weekend.
Killington is part of the Ikon Pass community
Killington and neighboring Pico Mountain are also members of the Ikon Pass destination network.
For the 2026-27 season, Ikon Pass holders receive up to seven days shared between Killington and Pico, while Ikon Base Pass holders receive up to five shared days, subject to applicable blackout dates.
That connection gives Ikon Pass holders access to one of the East’s most prominent ski destinations and a resort that will again spend part of November at the center of international alpine racing.
For Killington, however, the Snowdon project is primarily about the everyday operation of the mountain.
With the final towers now installed, the resort moves another step closer to completing a chairlift designed to increase capacity, strengthen lift redundancy and provide dependable access during the long Vermont winter.
And before that winter gets fully underway, Superstar will once again provide the stage for Shiffrin and the world’s best.
Information about the Snowdon Quad construction project was provided by Killington Resort.
About the Author: SR Staff Report
