Sandia Peak Tramway

The tram opened in 1966 and runs about 4.3 kilometres from the desert floor to the crest of the Sandias at around 3,163 metres. Between the second tower and the top terminal there is a single unsupported span of nearly 2.4 kilometres, among the longest anywhere, because the terrain below is too broken to build on - the towers themselves were placed by helicopter, and the second one stands on a knife-edge ridge. The climb passes through several life zones in fifteen minutes, from cactus and juniper to spruce and fir at the top, a change roughly equivalent to travelling from Mexico to Canada. Sandia means watermelon, from the pink the granite turns at sunset.

What you actually see

• A 2.4-kilometre unsupported span - the terrain below could not take towers.
• About 1,200 metres of climb - in around fifteen minutes.
• Several life zones in one ride - desert scrub to subalpine forest.
• The watermelon colour at sunset - which names the range.

When to go

Year round; sunset is the popular ride. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

High wind closes the tram regularly and it can strand people at the top briefly. The summit is around fifteen degrees colder than the base - bring layers whatever the valley feels like. Sunset rides sell out. It is expensive.

Nearby

Albuquerque is below; the crest trails run along the ridge.