2024-09: Sandia Peak Tramway

Milestones

• Part of my 3rd Annual “Bike-A-Palooza” (SEE the Whole Trip)

After packing up my campsite at Cochiti Recreation Area, I headed to Albuquerque for a much-needed hot shower, some clean sheets, a gourmet meal and a soft bed. My exit off the I-25 freeway was Tramway Rd. Then I remembered there was a gondola ride that took people to the top of Sandia Peak. So, instead of turning right, I turned left and headed to the mountains.

Sandia means “Watermelon” in Spanish.

The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway, adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to Sandia Peak, on the ridge line of the Sandia Mountains and has the world’s third longest single span. It is the longest aerial tram in the Americas, and was the longest in the world from 1966 until being surpassed in 2010 by the Wings of Tatev in Armenia.

Time Lapse Video of the Tram Ride

The original ride took over 11 minutes. I sped up the video by a factor of 8x, and used video stabilization software in the hope that no one gets sick watching it.

The tram is a type known as a “double reversible jigback aerial tramway,” where “jigback” implies that when one tram car is ascending, the other is descending.

The longest span is between the second tower and the top terminal. This span is the third-longest clear tramway span in the world, at a length of 7,720 feet (2,353 m). Mid-span, the cables are 900 ft (274 m) above the mountainside. This span passes over Domingo Baca Canyon, part of which is referred to as TWA Canyon. This is the site of the crash of TWA Flight 260 on February 19, 1955, in which the lives of all 16 passengers and crew were lost. While much of the wreckage was removed during construction of the tramway, some still remains on the canyon floor and may be visible to riders of the tram.

Photos going up and coming down…

Ski Museum

The tram terminal is located at the top of Sandia Peak Ski Area, which is on the opposite side of the mountain from the tramway and the city.