Flying through...

Ropeway ride

The thrill of riding the tramcar on the world’s longest ropeway makes the call of the Sandia Mountains a bit more inviting.

For its sheer vital statistics — 2.7 miles long and 10,378 feet above ground — the uphill journey over the craggy peaks is as much an elevating experience as it could be exciting.

The Sandia Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to the city of Albuquerque, the principal city of sparsely populated New Mexico and a seat of Hispanic civilisation. By US standards,
Albuquerque is a warm city with only two snowy months. Visiting the place in the sun-scorched months of July and August can scarcely help one to conjure up the winter in vast sandy wastes of this southern state. The hills, rugged as they are, seem uninspiring, offering not the remotest shade of the verdure they conceal in their bosom.

One wonders if the desolation of the place drove the authorities to endow the city with all sorts of uplifting sports and adventures. Albuquerque is also the balloon capital of the US with the largest balloondrome being located nearby which also hosts the annual balloon festival. The tramcar itself lures more visitors than those drawn by the heritage sites of Native Americans. While the slopes turn into ideal ski resorts in winters, the ropeway tramcar is a year-round attraction.

Though the Sandia Mountains offer myriad pleasures, the tramway ride is
certainly the piece de resistance. The lower tramway station is at a 10-mile drive north from downtown Albuquerque. Though it is a short trip from the heart of Albuquerque to the heights of the world’s longest aerial tramway, the distance can also be measured in the drama of 11,000 square miles of panoramic view. From the tramways base to the top of the 10,378 feet Sandia Peak, time and terrain seem to move as passengers lift from almost arid wastes of Albuquerque, above canyons and lush forests, to the breezy mountain top — 2.7 miles of skyview travel that reveals New Mexico’s varied landscape and life zones. Immediately after the tramway — a bus-like car with capacity to take 50, mostly standees — traverses the initial cliffs after which, the lush oak and pine forests burst into view.

A slight jerk heralds the start as the car is winched out from the lower tramway station. Simultaneously, the opposite car, just a speck at the upper end, begins its downhill ride, snowballing every other second. As the dreary brown hues of foothills gradually take on greener shades, guides blare out the unfolding features of the hills. Midway through, a shock awaits the revellers. In a tone almost full of macabre glee, the guide invokes the apocalyptic vision: “In the eventuality of a wire snap, the bottom of the car would hit the rocks below in exactly seven seconds.” Blood curdles up in veins as the chilling forebodings steal cheers momentarily from the faces of tourists. But the sombre mood evaporates as frolicking returnees from the opposite number wave their hands from behind the glass. Sheer face of mountains, raw escarpment and wind-polished rocks leave one awestruck.

A 20-minute ride transports one to an incredibly different clime. Crisp winds attack the faces with almost therapeutic effect. A number of restaurants and eateries offer items ranging from “top of the line menu” to the humble pizza, pie or simple ice cream. The ‘US Forest Service Center’, or the ‘High Finance’ or ‘Fire House’, aside from offering culinary delights, promise to offer a symphony of colours at sunrise or sundown, and a play of light down in Albuquerque, at night.

The tramway ride is just one aspect. The eastern slopes down from the Sandia Peak form a part of the Cibola National Forest. Gently rolling slopes and steady decline of this face of the Sandia Mountains has enabled the authorities to endow them with a wide variety of entertainment. A maze of winding trails descends down to foothills. Tourists disgorging from the tramway often choose to negotiate the slopes on chairlift. The row of chairs, each seating two — under heavenly breeze, over lush green forests and grass patches, move lazily for over two miles, carrying couples back and forth between the peak and the opposite foothills. Younger tourists often hit the trails on bikes, zigzagging through a lush green wilderness that is said to offer 30 miles of cruising terrain.