Ten minutes, 885 metres of vertical, and the fjord opening up under the cabin floor. Here is what those ten minutes actually contain.

The base station sits just off the Sea to Sky Highway south of Squamish. The cabins take eight people seated, and on a busy summer Saturday you will share yours — that is normal and the ride is short. The line climbs the shoulder below the Chief, crosses above the highway corridor, and tops out at the Summit Lodge at about 885 metres.

Gondola cabins climbing above Howe Sound — Cabins on the upper section. Sit on the Sound side (left, going up) for the fjord. Sit on the mountain side if heights bother you — the granite is close and gives your eyes somewhere to be.

At the top

Three things, in the order I would do them:

The suspension bridge — a short, well-built span with the right amount of bounce. Go early before the crowd finds it.
The Summit Lodge deck — the fjord view, coffee in hand. This is the photograph everyone takes, and on an outflow morning it earns it.
The backside trails — even the short Panorama loop gets you away from ninety percent of the visitors. The longer trails toward the backcountry are real hiking: bring footwear that matches.

Height note: the cabins are fully enclosed and steady. The bridge moves a little, by design. If heights are a genuine problem, the lodge deck alone is worth the ticket; skip the bridge and do not let anyone shame you about it.

The ride

At the top