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43-404: Set on the east face of the southern end of Mount Allan , Nakiska has 64 trails with four chairlifts (3 high-speed quads and 1 double), 1 Reg Magic Carpet and 1 Monster Carpet) set up over an area of 3 km (1.2 sq mi). The longest run has 3.3 km (2.1 mi), from a top lift-served elevation of 2,258 m (7,408 ft) to the base at 1,479 m (4,852 ft). Nakiska

86-483: A Performance terminal with an Alpha drive unit at the far end. These early chairlifts also had vault drives which were located under the Performance terminal. The old (Colorado Superchair) at Breckenridge Ski Resort , and the (American Flyer) at Copper Mountain are two great examples of Performance terminals with vault drives. Very few lifts exist with this style to this day. Later on, the Performance drive terminal

129-487: A grip failure stacked two chairs together at Sierra-at-Tahoe , killing a 9-year-old boy. Finally, in 1995, 4 chairs plummeted from Whistler Blackcomb's Quicksilver lift while it was operating. A chair slipped from the steepest part of the lift, creating a domino effect involving 3 others. All four chairs fell 75 feet upon crashing into the sheaves on the nearest tower, killing 2 riders and injuring 8. Yan filed for bankruptcy in 1997 and has not operated since. Leitner-Poma

172-414: A high speed quad, DT-106 on a high speed six pack, or DT-108 on an eight-passenger gondola. The Torsion grip is still made today as Doppelmayr (North America) 's primary grip option. Unlike Poma 's grips, Doppelmayr grips are double position grips. When the chair enters a terminal, the angled roller is pushed down by a metal strip, which opens a grip jaw. The jaw remains open until the chair reattaches to

215-963: A peak height of 12,434 feet (3,790 m). CTEC built their first detachable in 1989 at Solitude Mountain Resort (named the Eagle express). In building this lift they had a rare partnership with Von Roll for their detachable technology. This also happened to be the first detachable quad in Utah. From 1990 on they partnered with Garaventa for their detachable technology before they merged in 1992. They have built detachable lifts at many resorts, such as Grand Targhee, Stevens Pass, Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbird, Alta, Palisades Tahoe, Stratton, and Attitash. They constructed lifts until 2002 when they merged with Doppelmayr. Some Garaventa designs are used to this day. Yan Lift , known in its later years as Lift Engineering, built 31 high speed quads between 1987 and 1994, mostly in

258-465: A powerful spring-loaded cable grip which detaches at terminals, allowing the chair to slow considerably for convenient loading and unloading at a typical speed of 200 ft/min (2 mph, 4 km/h, 1 m/s), a speed slower even than fixed-grip bunny chairlifts . They are now commonplace at all but the smallest of ski resorts . Some are installed at tourist attractions as well as for urban transportation. Another advantage of detaching chairs

301-424: A range of comfort chairs from 4 to 6 Place, cabins up to 15 passengers. In mid June 2024 Their prototype model was shown to the public sporting 2 hold-down towers, 1 support tower, a very large cabin and a 6 place chair. These terminals are unique in that they are “gravity assist” where the rails of the terminals slope upward and downward to help slow down and accelerate the carriers. Cable grip A cable grip

344-443: A retractable acrylic glass dome to protect passengers from weather. An alternative system for reconciling slow boarding speeds with fast rope speeds is the carpet lift : the chairs move at full speed even through the terminal. Boarding passengers are progressively accelerated on a system of conveyor belts of carpet-like material until nearly matching the chair speed. On Sunday, 26 December 2004, Lech am Arlberg and Schröcken in

387-441: A variety of sizes, carrying from 1 to 8 passengers. All chairs on a given chairlift usually have the same capacity. Slang terms for the different sizes include "single", "double", "triple", "quad", "six pack", and "eight". Detachable chairlifts may also be described as "high speed" or "express", which results in terms such as "high speed six pack" and "express quad". Some detachable chairlifts have so-called bubble chairs , which add

430-672: Is a Swiss maker of chairlifts and gondolas. While they are an important player in the European ski lift market, only a few of their lifts have been installed in Asia and South America. Sadly, there are currently no Bartholet detachable chairlifts in the United States. French MND has a history of Alpine manufacturing. The company formerly partnered with Bartholet for their grip technology. With this technology having been developed in Europe,

473-487: Is a device for propelling a vehicle by attaching to a wire rope (called a haul rope) running at a (relatively) constant speed. The vehicle may be suspended from the cable, as in the case of aerial lifts such as a gondola lift ( télécabine ), may be guided by rails , as in a cable traction railway , or may be self-guiding, as in a button lift . Typically, multiple vehicles will use the same cable; where just one or two vehicles are in use they will tend to be attached to

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516-430: Is a type of passenger aerial lift , which, like a fixed-grip chairlift , consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope (called a haul rope ) that is strung between two (or more) terminals over intermediate towers. In contrast to the fixed-grip version, the chairs of a detachable chair lift detach from the haul rope for loading and unloading. The significance of detachable chairlift technology

559-648: Is also known for building some very unusual lifts, mostly at Breckenridge Ski Resort , which include North America's only double loading chairlift (Quicksilver Super6), the first high speed lift in Colorado with a midway load (Peak 8 SuperConnect), and the highest lift in North America (Imperial Express SuperChair) at 12,840 feet. It also built the new highest high speed six pack as of 2022 in North America (Lenawee Mountain Express), located at Arapahoe Basin , with

602-560: Is now classified as a CLD-260 terminal. These and the older terminals were the only types of terminals to use chains instead of tires for contours. In 1989, the old design was officially retired with the addition of the Avanti high speed quad at Vail, and a new design, called the UNI , was introduced. This design was utilized from 1989 to the last year of the DS-104 grip in 1994. In 1992, the design

645-755: Is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies , which also owns the Fernie , Kimberley , Kicking Horse Mountain Resort , Mont Sainte Anne , and Stoneham ski resorts. The site was selected in 1983 and opened for skiing in the fall of 1986, in preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics . Pre-Olympic races on the North American Cup circuit (Nor-Am) were held in December 1986 and World Cup downhill and super G races were held in March 1987 . At

688-406: Is primarily the speed and capacity. Detachable chairlifts move far faster than their fixed-grip brethren, averaging 1,000 feet per minute (11.3 mph, 18 km/h, 5.08 m/s) versus a typical fixed-grip speed of 500 ft/min (5.6 mph, 9 km/h, 2.54 m/s). Because the cable moves faster than most passengers could safely disembark and load, each chair is connected to the cable by

731-471: Is the ability to remove chairs during severe weather in order to reduce stress on the rope and towers. Furthermore, operating the unladen rope during extreme weather is effective at preventing—or greatly reducing—ice and snow accumulation on the sheaves and rope. This saves considerable time, expense and hazard when opening the chair for operation, which would otherwise require workers to climb each tower and chip away ice and shovel snow. Chairlifts are made in

774-413: Is the present day version of Poma , as joint venture in the United States. In Europe, Poma and Leitner operate as separate ventures. They no longer make these types of detachable products: Arceaux Carrier, Arceaux version 2 Carrier, Performance Terminal, Challenger Terminal, Competition Terminal, Leitner Grip, Omega Terminal, and Omega grip. Now, Leitner-Poma has created an improved Omega carrier, along with

817-463: Is the type of grip used in the cable cars of San Francisco . The grip is attached to the lead truck of the car (or both trucks, in the case of double-ended cars), and is a field-replaceable unit . While side grips and even top grips have been used, the sheer number of rope (cable) changes, crossings, and "let-go" curves make the bottom grip, i.e., one in which the jaws open directly downward, the most practical type. The operating lever raises and lowers

860-621: The "Adirondack Express", a high-speed triple, the only lift of its kind in the Eastern US, at Gore Mountain , NY in 1984. Then Poma built the first chairlift that went 1,100 feet per minute, the Green Mountain Express, at Sugarbush Resort , VT in 1990. The detachable chairlift didn't start with a chairlift, rather, it started with the Platter lift in 1908, as the sticks left the cable and attached when someone loaded onto

903-427: The (Quicksilver Superchair's) installation. Although hard to prove, the earliest known Poma quads are from circa 1985, such as the (Coney Glade) at Snowmass , the (Liberator Express) at Mission Ridge (installed in 2005, formally known as (Summit Express), ran at Winter Park Resort from 1985 to 2005), and others. Many of the original high speed quads they built were known as Alpha Evolution lifts, because they utilized

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946-454: The 1988 Winter Olympics, Nakiska hosted the ten alpine events, as well as freestyle moguls skiing , then a demonstration event. A temporary surface lift to the gusty top of the mountain was used for the men's downhill event. This poma can be seen from the top of the "Gold Chair" and is sometimes used for avalanche control. The starting gate of the men's Olympic downhill was at 2,412 m (7,913 ft), 154 m (505 ft) above

989-662: The Bregenzerwald, became the first chairlifts to have heated seats when five Doppelmayr detachable chairlifts offer skiers the added luxury of a warm seat on the uphill trip. Doppelmayr (North America) built the first detachable quad chair in the world, the Quicksilver SuperChair, in 1981 at Breckenridge, CO. This chair was later replaced by the Quicksilver Super6, a detachable six person chairlift, by Poma in 1999. Von Roll Habegger installed

1032-543: The Torsion grip today. Doppelmayr in the U.S. is starting to discontinue the Garaventa carriers, and replacing them with Doppelmayr EJ carriers. Doppelmayr is known for building the first high speed quad, building the first 8-passenger gondola at Steamboat Ski Resort and having a good relationship with Big Sky Resort , Vail Ski Resort , Beaver Creek Resort , Steamboat Ski Resort , and many other ski resorts. Bartholet

1075-618: The U.S. to have rectangular tower heads. The Orient Express was also the first Doppelmayr chairlift in the U.S. to have 800 horsepower. The original grip was slightly modified later before the Vail quads were built. Known as the Spring Series, these grips were known as DS-104 grips on high speed quads and DS-108s on eight passenger gondolas. In 1995, a newer grip was introduced called the Torsion series . Torsion grips were called DT-104 if on

1118-462: The United States and Canada. The detachable grips were of an unusual design, in which a steel bar with V-shaped troughs sat atop the haul rope and were held in place by tensioning assembly with rubber springs. These grips relied more on gravity and friction than raw grip force, and were much weaker than other designs. The grips were notorious for slipping, and often required realignment. Yan stopped building detachables after two fatal accidents. In 1993,

1161-434: The addition of the new Monster Glades (trails in the trees). The Olympic flame still burns at the entrance to the resort. Of note is that the men's downhill shown on the board inside the restaurant is not the actual run used. With test skiers saying the proposed run was too easy, the men's downhill course was changed with only 3 days to go, leaving no time to change the course board which had already been painted and mounted on

1204-426: The cable permanently such as in funiculars . While the cable grips used in the original cable railways were manually operated, requiring considerable skill and strength, modern cable grips tend to be automatic. Given that the cable runs at a relatively constant speed, accelerating the vehicle to match the speed of the cable presents a technical difficulty; possible methods are to apply the grip gradually, to accelerate

1247-425: The cable upon departing the terminal. Grip clamping force is measured just prior to the double position grips reattaching to the haul rope while a carrier (chair) is exiting the terminal, in contrast to Poma's grips, in which grip force can be measured as the grip travels through the contour. Insufficient grip force triggers an alarm and brings the lift to a halt before the carrier reaches the first breakover tower after

1290-415: The center plate of the grip, which in turn operates the jaws. With the lever fully forward, the grip is open, and the cable is free to fall out, which is necessary when the cable crosses under another line, reaches the end of a line, or negotiates a "let-go" curve. With the cable lifted into the jaws, the operating lever is pulled back, forcing the jaws between two fixed rollers, and capturing the cable between

1333-528: The company installed their first U.S. system at Waterville Valley New Hampshire . The lift is called the Tecumseh Express , and is a detachable six-person bubble chairlift. In late 2023, Bartholet cancelled its MND partnership when it was purchased by HTI Group (the parent company of Poma, Leitner, Leitner Poma of America and many others). In April of 2024 MND revealed its Orizon line. A new model of Terminals, Grips and carriers. The carriers include

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1376-406: The grip travels through the contour, and for the lift to come to a stop before the grip is reattached to the haul rope if insufficient grip force is detected. Unlike Doppelmayr lifts that check grip force while a grip and carrier are leaving the terminal, most Poma detachable lifts are not built to operate in reverse because a grip force failed grip can be brought to a halt within the terminal. Poma

1419-582: The new LPA grip, and a new version of the Omega terminal. Leitner-Poma has good relationships with Breckenridge Ski Resort , Vail Ski Resort , Winter Park Resort , Snowmass , Aspen Mountain , Buttermilk , Aspen Highlands , Okemo , Mount Snow , Sugarbush Resort and many other ski resorts. Doppelmayr (North America) , formally known as Doppelmayr CTEC is the merger of CTEC, Garaventa, and Doppelmayr globally. They continue to make Garaventa and Dopplemayr Carriers, their UNI-GS/UNI-G (Europe) terminals, and

1462-509: The new Omega T-Grip came out and a new terminal known as the Omega was introduced for it. It was replaced by a newer variant that mainly modified the windows on the ends in 2003. Unlike Doppelmayr, the Poma grips are single position. In such method, they are pressed down, which opens the jaws to detach the chair, and then the jaws close and the spring is released. The process is reversed for attachment. This design allows grip force to be measured as

1505-456: The present lift-served summit. That race was postponed a day due to 98 mph (158 km/h) winds at the summit. In 2008, Nakiska was named the official training centre of Alpine Canada (ACA). Each year Nakiska welcomes alpine teams from around the world for early season ski training. During the summer of 2008 the ski area embarked on a series of renovations. Snowmaking enhancements increased capacity by 33%. The 100-metre Monster Magic Carpet

1548-732: The stick. A detachable two person chairlift called White Lady was installed in Cairngorm Mountain, Scotland in 1961. In 1981, the first ever high speed detachable quad in the world was installed, the Doppelmayr-built Quicksilver SuperChair at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado . This lift was relocated in 1999 to the Owl's Head Ski area in Quebec as "Le Lac", and was dismantled in 2019 after 38 seasons in two countries. This first detachable chairlift

1591-534: The terminal. Because of this design, most Doppelmayr detachable lifts are designed to allow operation in reverse. This allows a grip force-alarmed grip and carrier to be backed into the terminal for inspection or removal. The original terminals on the Quicksilver Quad were all completely enclosed, but in 1985, in time for the Vail Ski Resort high speed quads, the terminal design changed to what

1634-488: The vehicle (e.g. by guiding wheels) prior to applying the grip, or to use a sprung linkage between the grip and the vehicle. The cable must also be able to handle friction from the grip and increased load while the vehicle is accelerating. Cable grips have additional uses, such as supporting electric or structural cables for pulling or laying of the electric or structural cable itself. In such use they may also be called cable pulling grips, cable socks, or cable stockings. This

1677-519: The wall inside the restaurant. On November 13, 2017, the French Alpine ski racer David Poisson died in a crash during training. A weather station located west of the ski area records temperature and wind speed. The station is above the tree line at an elevation of 2,543 m (8,343 ft). It has reported wind gusts as high as 219 km/h (136 mph) Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift

1720-485: Was added and the creation of a dedicated Training Run was completed on Mapmaker. In 2009, in preparation for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver , more enhancements occurred. A new high-speed quad lift was installed (Gold Chair Express), replacing the original fixed-grip (Gold) triple chairlift. The ride time is 4.7 minutes, less than half of the previous chair's 9.7 minutes. In 2009 new ski trails were also created with

1763-652: Was changed slightly mainly in the entry funnels area. With the introduction of the Torsion series came the UNI-M terminal, which underwent a number of minor cosmetic changes between 1995 and 2002. Currently, two options are offered, the UNI-G terminal, and the UNI-GS terminal, which can be distinguished through the appearance of the end windows. The first UNI-GS chairlift, Panorama, debuted in 2003 at Gunstock Mountain Resort . Poma entered this market within two to three years of

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1806-513: Was followed by a Doppelmayr detachable triple chair at Mt Bachelor in Oregon in 1983 and two detachable quads at Mt Buller , Victoria, Australia in 1984. Until 1985, Quicksilver was also the only detachable quad in Colorado when Vail Ski Resort installed four Doppelmayr high speed quads. In 1988, Vail Ski Resort opened up Orient Express Lift #21, which was the first Doppelmayr chairlift in

1849-491: Was modified to house the bullwheel machinery inside the main terminal structure itself, eliminating the need to run the cable through the terminal. Poma was also slower at introducing tire contours over chains, and it wasn't until 1992 that tire contours were used by the company with the introduction of the Challenger terminal. This terminal would undergo changes with the windows before officially retired in 1998. At that time,

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