Sandia Peak Tramway

After rowing training today, it was a quick visit to a large shopping mall in Albuquerque, then a drive up to the major road called Tramway in the Sandia Foothills. This is the route to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, taking you to the top of the Sandia Mountains. The tram (or cable car as we probably would call it in Australia) takes you high above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain for a distance of 2.7 miles. This makes it the second longest cable car ride in North America.

During this 15 minutes journey (while shooting video and photos) one sees some of nature’s more dramatic beauty, from the sheer drop to the massive rocks below, and the vistas over Albuquerque city in the distance.

On the way back down it was late afternoon, and the mountains, spectacular clouds and the desert skies all combine together to produce a spectacular array of color. I took this shot of our incoming tram from our vantage point on the observation deck, atop the 10,378 foot Sandia Peak. The tram holds approximately 35 people and costs $20 return.

Larger tramcar.

The tramway is located in the Cibola National Forest, and from the top you get an 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley and the "Land of Enchantment".

The Ski Area Chairlift ride at the peak is closed at the moment as there is no snow, but will be open daily during Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October. Today at the top of the Sandias, it was at least 15 degrees cooler than down at the bottom. In winter when there is thick snow at the top, the temperature difference is even greater. Temperatures at the top of the tramway can then be as much as 30 DEGREES COOLER!