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Hundreds stranded on Grouse Mountain due to high winds

Stormy weather left hundreds of people stranded atop Grouse Mountain overnight.

The main gondola that transports people up and down the mountain was shut down until early Sunday morning due to high winds.

Trams stopped operating between 11:30 p.m. on Sunday and around 5:30 a.m. the following day.

Grouse Mountain spokeswoman Julie Grant says the situation was unusual.

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Grant says guests were kept comfortable through the night with blankets, snacks and hot chocolate, while Christmas movies played continuously in the theatre.

Matthew Harraway was stuck on the mountain overnight, describing the experience as “long” and “tedious” but “exhilarating.”

“The Grouse Mountain personnel did a fantastic job looking after everybody,” Harraway said. “They were coming around, asking us if we needed anything and ensuring that everybody was safe…It looked like a big sleepover with big parties going on in the background.”

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https://www.instagram.com/p/_OaF2Ihs57/?tagged=grousemountain

He said around 6 p.m. he set to have a drink with family members at the top of the mountain when they were told that the gondola might be shut down for the night. They ran to the gondola only to find a huge crowd trying to get down the mountain.

Blustery weather over the past 48 hours also managed to blanket the ski hill with 50 centimetres of fresh snow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_PgGXJKnre/?tagged=grousemountain
-With files from The Canadian Press

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