The lives of horrified skiers were left hanging in the balance after the cable cars they ascended up the slopes on were battered by powerful 60mph winds.
Visitors at the Cervino Spa ski resort in Breuil-Cervinia, northern Italy, have been left 'traumatised' after being violently flung around in their seats while situated around 30ft in the air.
People were left wishing they had braved the treacherous walk up the mountain after they experienced a hellish journey on the gondolas on as they tried to reach the upper station on Thursday (28 March).
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Terrifying footage shows how the cable cars were swinging side to side and getting stuck in a spiral as the scarily strong winds - which can reach up to 62mph in the area - pounded into them.
The helpless riders were left holding on for dear life as some of the lifts span 270 degrees due to the gales, which whipped mounds of snow up into the air, in video which has since gone viral on social media.
It is unclear how many passengers were onboard during the patch of bad weather, but resort operator Cervino Spa said that everyone had safely reached the upper station.
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The slopes, situated at Italy's northern tip, had already been shut down to the worrying weather conditions and the people catching a ride on the cable cars are said to have been the last skiers leaving.
At least a dozen gondolas - with legs and ski equipment dangling from some of them - can be seen in clips from the scene forcefully rocking back and forth.
Experienced skier Stephanie Burt has explained how her family holiday, which lifelong pal Barnaby Dunning joined her on, turned into the 'most frightening experience of her life' after she climbed onto a cable car.
She told the Daily Mail: "We were traumatised. I was in shock. It's insane."
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"Our bottoms were off of the seats, we were holding onto the front bubble and literally swinging in midair," Stephanie added.
"The only reason I'm alive is because I was there with Barnaby, who weighs 100kg and could hold it down. At one stage, my ski was up over my shoulder."
The mum explained that her and Barnaby were weighing up whether to try and jump to safety by discussing the severity of the injuries they would sustain if they fell in comparison to making their own way down.
"I remember thinking to myself, 'I've just got to hold on'," Stephanie continued. "I thought about my children, my husband.
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"Barney said: 'Don't jump'."
The President of Cervino Spa, Federico Maquignaz, said that his team sprung into action to help the skiers who were stranded in mid-air.
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He told The Sun: "Violent, unpredictable gusts of wind hit the town, a real storm and access to the lift was immediately closed, while the chairlift continued to move to allow passengers still in line to disembark.
"Due to the wind there was a fault in the line, the technicians climbed onto the pylons to check the situation and put the chairlift back into operation.
"At extremely low speed and with the utmost caution, necessary for these operations, they were all taken to the top without any consequences, neither for the skiers who remained stranded, nor for the technicians who intervened.
"Unfortunately, these are extreme situations that cannot be predicted and which remind us once again of the unpredictability of the mountains."
LADbible has contacted Cervino Spa for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/marco_malcangiTopics: News, Travel, Weather, World News
