New world record set: 22 different 8-person chairlifts in a single day of skiing

An extraordinary day of skiing with plenty of fresh snow and a new world record in the Austrian Alps: On March 17, 2026, Oliver Kern from the Skiresort website rode a total of 22 different 8-person chairlifts in a single day of skiing. The tour took him through several major ski resorts in the Salzburg region and Tyrol — including Skicicus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, Steinplatte, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental, and the KitzSki ski resort.

The route began promptly at 8:00 a.m. with about 30 cm of fresh snow in the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and then continued on to Steinplatte. From there, the group headed to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental and finally to the KitzSki ski area around Kitzbühel and Kirchberg. At noon, there was even time for a snack at the Holzalm in Brixen im Thale. Thanks to precise planning, quick transfers between locations, and the fresh powder, Kern was able to use a total of 22 different 8-person chairlifts in a single day. As the owner and managing director of the Skiresort website, he has been an enthusiastic fan of these outstanding lift facilities for years.

At 3:46 p.m., the 8-person Hartkaser chairlift at Pass Thurn in the KitzSki ski area was ridden as lift no. 22, thereby setting the new world record. Since there was still some time left, the Hartkaser lift was ridden a second time as a bonus. In total, 40 different ski lifts were used that day, covering 58.5 km and 16,359 meters of elevation gain via cable cars.

“The major ski resorts in Tyrol and Salzburg now boast an impressive density of modern, high-performance chairlifts. With the right planning, it’s possible to ride a great many of them in a single day,” explains Oliver Kern from the Skiresort website.

8-person chairlifts are among the most modern lifts in ski resorts. They transport up to 4,500 winter sports enthusiasts per hour and offer a particularly comfortable ride thanks to weather-protective hoods, heated seats, and convenient boarding and disembarking areas.

The record-breaking day concluded with a celebration at the PanoramaAlm and the Sonnalm at the upper and lower stations of the Hartkaser 8-person chairlift in the KitzSki ski resort.

About Oliver Kern

Passionate skier and extreme athlete Oliver Kern is the owner and managing director of the Skiresort internet portal, the world's largest test portal for ski resorts with 20 million visitors per year. In recent years, he has set ten world records and skied in over 1,000 different ski resorts in 35 countries on six continents. He also holds another record with over 8,400 ski lifts and cable cars ridden. During his career, he founded Skiresort in 1998, wrote over 500 test reports on ski resorts, and collected more than 25,000 ski passes.

World record at a glance:

• Date of world record: Tuesday, 17 March 2026
• Ski resorts: Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, Steinplatte, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, KitzSki
• Number of different 8-seater chairlifts: 22 lifts
• Duration: from 8:00 a.m. to approx. 3:46 p.m.
• 58.5 km and 16,359 meters of vertical ascent covered by chairlift rides

How many different 8-seater chairlifts can you ride in one day of skiing?

ChatGPT says that a maximum of 10–12 different 8-seater chairlifts are feasible in one day. Oliver Kern from the Skiresort internet portal wants to set a new world record and plans to ride over 20 different 8-seater chairlifts on a normal day of skiing.

After setting three extraordinary world records in 2025 – including 101 different ski lifts in one day in Sweden and two altitude records at SnowWorld Bispingen in Germany – Oliver Kern is now aiming for his tenth world record. His next goal: to conquer at least 20 different 8-seater chairlifts in a single day in Austria's most renowned ski resorts. As the owner and managing director of the Skiresort internet portal, he is an enthusiastic fan of 8-person chairlifts. These extremely comfortable and modern lift systems can only be found in a few select and special ski resorts worldwide.

On 17 March 2026, it will start at 8 a.m. in Hinterglemm and then travel via Saalbach to Leogang. From there, it will continue via the Steinplatte to the SkiWelt Scheffau. The SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental alone has seven 8-seater chairlifts. In the afternoon, the tour will continue from the SkiWelt Westendorf to the KitzSki ski area. It will then continue from Tyrol to the Salzburg region, where the KitzSkiWelt Tour, the longest ski circuit in the world, will also be completed. By the end of the day's skiing, over 15,500 metres of altitude and 55 kilometres of lift travel will have been completed. The last ride is planned for around 4.30 p.m. on the Hartkaser 8-seater chairlift at Pass Thurn. Afterwards, there will be celebrations at the PanoramaAlm at 1,950 metres.

About Oliver Kern

Passionate skier and extreme athlete Oliver Kern is the owner and managing director of the Skiresort internet portal, the world's largest test portal for ski resorts with 20 million visitors per year. In recent years, he has set nine world records and skied in over 1,000 different ski resorts in 35 countries on six continents. He also holds another record with over 8,400 ski lifts and cable cars ridden. During his career, he founded Skiresort in 1998, wrote over 500 test reports on ski resorts, and collected more than 25,000 ski passes.

World record at a glance:

• Date of world record: Tuesday, 17 March 2026
• Ski resorts: Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, Steinplatte, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, KitzSki
• Number of different 8-seater chairlifts: 20-22 lifts
• Duration: from 8:00 a.m. to approx. 4:30 p.m.
• Lifts used: 8-seater chairlifts (and connecting lifts in between)