New Chairlift Opens at Tennessee's Only Ski Area

At Tennessee's only ski area, Ober Mountain, a brand new Doppelmayr quad chairlift has opened to the public.

The new chair, called the Ober Challenge, serves the ski area’s upper mountain terrain, depositing guests at 3,208 feet.

“Come experience a smoother, faster, safer, and more enjoyable way to conquer the slopes,” the ski area wrote in a social media post celebrating the new chair. 

Traditionally, when a new Doppelmayr lift opens, a mountain's General Manager or owner is presented with a ceremonial bell. At Ober Mountain, this practice carried on. "These bells historically placed on leader cattle in Alpine regions symbolize luck, prosperity, and cheer, all values we hope the Ober Challenge will bring every skier and snowboarder who rides it," the ski area added in the social media post.

This summer, the Ober Challenge  will also serve mountain bikers, earning Ober Mountain another Tennessee accolade—with the Ober Challenge in action during the warmer months, the ski area will offers the state’s only lift-accessed downhill bike park, according to WBIR.

The lift infrastructure improvements don’t stop with the Ober Challenge. Another new Doppelmayr lift—the four-person Sky Village Express—is set to replace the two-seater Scenic Lift soon. Once open to the public, the Sky Village Express will serve the Smoky Mountain Bobsled, a scenic deck on Mt. Harrison, and a zipline.

“We are thrilled to introduce a new chairlift and snowmaking technology this season to improve the experience for our guests who visit Ober to ski and ride," CEO and president Mark Adams told WBIR.