Chair Detaches from Wildcat Lift

[faceplant]

serious injury.... Riblet lift

Chair Detaches from Wildcat Lift

Photo credit: Mic Murphy A triple chair fell near the base of Wildcat Mountain’s Snowcat lift this afternoon, sending one person to the hospital. The lift involved is a 1974 Riblet servicing …

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[IceEidolon]

Lifts are emphatically not in my wheelhouse. Is it feasible to convert to a different grip style without replacing everything that touches the haul rope? I know some YAN lifts had conversions done but I don't know how extensive they were.

 

[Dickc]

Where Riblet’s attach with a clip woven into the haul rope, I would hazard a guess that the haul rope needs to be replaced to go to a different grip Style. With Vail’s pile of money, and their propensity to spend on new bright shiny things, they should just replace the lift.

 

[Mainer]

I bet that lift is done for the year. Besides the learning triple at attitash (which gets boring quick) Not really another Epic lift in the valley that serves beginner/ lower intermediate terrain. The double double is closed permanently ( I think), kachina triple hasnt run since vail bought attitash. Polecat is actually great for beginners but always seems to scare beginners for some reason. Getting worse by the day at atticat

 

[Dickc]

I bet that lift is done for the year. Besides the learning triple at attitash (which gets boring quick) Not really another Epic lift in the valley that serves beginner/ lower intermediate terrain. The double double is closed permanently ( I think), kachina triple hasnt run since vail bought attitash. Polecat is actually great for beginners but always seems to scare beginners for some reason. Getting worse by the day at atticat

I believe they only shut the WEST double double. The east one has the mid station.

 

[ne_skier]

If I had to guess, this accident was the result of a misload. Riblet clips are prone to becoming detached when subject to significant torsional force (i.e. swinging side to side). Also notice how the chair fell off relatively close to the bottom terminal.
Similar accidents with Riblet clips happened last year at 49 North and Indianhead

 

[thebigo]

If I had to guess, this accident was the result of a misload. Riblet clips are prone to becoming detached when subject to significant torsional force (i.e. swinging side to side). Also notice how the chair fell off relatively close to the bottom terminal.
Similar accidents with Riblet clips happened last year at 49 North and Indianhead

Off the top of my head, bobcat and a couple lifts at crotched have the same clips.

 

[ne_skier]

Valley and Park are both Riblets. I personally wouldn't be too concerned about Riblet lifts in general, perhaps resorts that are seeing swinging chairs could install more guidage in places where torsion would be the most common, such as load/unload points

 

[zoomzoom]

a correctly profiled loading ramp with a "kicker" is key to reducing riblet chairs from excessive swing at the load station. it has to be maintained throughout the day. hard contact with the "halo" on the first support tower and popping a riblet grip out of the cable isn't uncommon. but is bad for press.

 

[Mainer]

-21, -63 with windchill right now across the street from wildcat today. Conway daily sun has a front page article about lift falling off, includes some vail bashing in the article

 

[zoomzoom]

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[machski]

Valley and Park are both Riblets. I personally wouldn't be too concerned about Riblet lifts in general, perhaps resorts that are seeing swinging chairs could install more guidage in places where torsion would be the most common, such as load/unload points

Park had all the chairs on the ground over Christmas and Valley hasn't spun yet this year. Maybe Vail isn't running redundant Riblets anymore?

 

[ne_skier]

I doubt it really has anything to do with the lifts being Riblet; obviously Vail is having massive staffing issues so running redundant lifts in general is far down on their list of priorities at the moment. Vail also announced Attitash’s redundant West Double would not operate, and that one is a Borvig.

 

[2Planker]

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In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston and New England area.

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The lift is done for the year. Possibly permanently...... TBD