Nell Bell Chairlift Nearing Completion on Aspen Mountain

The new Nell Bell chairlift is nearing completion on Aspen Mountain, set to replace the Little Nell and Bell Mountain chairlifts with a single, modern high-speed quad. The lift will open this winter, becoming the second significant on-mountain infrastructure investment in the last three years..

Built by Leitner-Poma, the Nell Bell is a four-person, high-speed detachable chairlift running roughly 6,750 feet — about 1.3 miles — moving skiers at 5 meters per second, bringing them to the top of Bell Mountain in 8 minutes. The two older lifts took a combined 21 minutes to run, and they ran infrequently. Capacity comes in at up to 1,800–2,000 skiers per hour, and the lift's lower profile means it may be able to keep running in windy conditions that would shut down the Silver Queen Gondola.

I have been saying that the new lift will completely change the way Aspen Mtn skis. In the past, my first lap would be on the Silver Queen Gondola, and then you could ski 5-6 laps on the Pandora's lift in just over an hour.

You would then hit the front side and ski Bell Mountain, getting untracked snow from the Face to the Meadow. Unfortunately, that will no longer be an option. The new lift's speed and access will quickly chew up the terrain. My alternative would be to stay on the backside and then do a high traverse over to the dumps or ski a Face to 6.

This lift will also support the long-term picture. The Silver Queen Gondola, installed in 1986, has served top-to-bottom skiing for four decades but is nearing its end of life. Nell to Bell will be the main access point when the Gondola is replaced.

For those of us in real estate, projects like this are worth watching closely. Mountain access and lift infrastructure are quiet but powerful drivers of property values — proximity to efficient uphill access has always mattered to buyers here, and upgrades like the Nell Bell reinforce Aspen Mountain's standing as a premier, well-invested ski destination for years to come.