Stratton Mountain, VT - Not for the acrophobic or faint of heart, Stratton Mountain ski area employees are training as a team over the course of eight weeks to prepare for a gondola evacuation in the event of an emergency at the Vermont ski and snowboard resort. Training will continue every Thursday morning at 8 a.m. for the next five weeks.

Stratton Mountain employee Mike Disabato works his way towards a gondola car on Thursday, 80 feet above the ground, as part of an eight-week training exercise to prepare a team of ski resort employees to perform a gondola evacuation in the event of an emergency. (photo: Stratton)