Oh Whistler/Blackcomb... You so crazy.

[ozskier]

I don't think I would like to ride this lift... Simply because of how high it would be... 1,370 feet above the valley, yeah, no thanks. I'll stick with skiing down to the Village and riding the Gondi's.

I guess it would be pretty good for bungee jumping in the summer I guess.

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., Oct. 26, 2005—In an effort to further cement its position as one of North America’s top resorts, Intrawest plans to construct a high-capacity gondola nearly three miles long, linking the peaks of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains, according to a report in Canada’s The Globe and Mail.

The C$50 million project will link the Rendezvous and Roundhouse complexes on Blackcomb and Whistler, respectively, at the 6,100-foot level, ferrying 4,000 people an hour (2,000 in each direction). To be built by the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group, the lift will be one of the most spectacular in the world. Its 26 cabins will each carry 30 passengers, at one point, riders will be 1,370 feet above the valley floor. The free span between the two peaks will stretch nearly two miles—longer than the length of most lifts.

There is just one catch. Intrawest is seeking a partner to share the cost. Assuming one can be found, the company hopes to have the lift in place for the 2007-08 season.

 

[bvibert]

Wowsers! Thats pretty high!

 

[ozskier]

Watch it be something insane that travels at 30 meters per second and have oddly shaped cabins to reduce wind resistance.

I still can't fathom being that high off the valley in a gondi at Whistler. That is nuts. I mean, it is sort of a pain to peak hop by going down to the base, but it really isn't that much of a PITA.

 

[RIDEr]

Come on 1,370 feet really isn't that high when you are being held by a string of wire..... YEA RIGHT; however, I'll be on it when I eventually make it out there.

 

[ctenidae]

I can't imagine being 1370 feet up on a span of wire that's 2 miles between supports. How much tension do you ahve to have on a line to cross that much distance? That's just nuts.

 

[ozskier]

I can't imagine being 1370 feet up on a span of wire that's 2 miles between supports. How much tension do you ahve to have on a line to cross that much distance? That's just nuts.

I started thinking of the engineering needed for this and I was thinking that the typical hydraulic tensioning at each terminal couldn't possibly produce this kind of haul rope tension for 2 mile span... Could it??!??!!

 

[eatskisleep]

And I thought the Jay Tram was high at like 180 feet.

 

[bvibert]

I can't imagine being 1370 feet up on a span of wire that's 2 miles between supports. How much tension do you ahve to have on a line to cross that much distance? That's just nuts.

I started thinking of the engineering needed for this and I was thinking that the typical hydraulic tensioning at each terminal couldn't possibly produce this kind of haul rope tension for 2 mile span... Could it??!??!!

Maybe they plan on using a REALLY big counter-weight...

 

[ctenidae]

Maybe they plan on using a REALLY big counter-weight...

Like the mountain? 26 cars with 30 people each, that, not even counting the car, is a load of 125,000 pounds, conservatively.

I sent the question to my engineer brother-in-law to get his take on it. I just can't imagine.

 

[riverc0il]

better hope you don't need an evac up that high :lol:

these guys should seriously send sbush a call and ask them if the slidebrook was actually worth it in the long run?

 

[Marc]

I'd be interested in seeing how the engineers plan on that one as well.

In terms of a ski lift though, barring using exotic/unusual material, it basically seems to this engineer to be a case of, bigger load, bigger forces... bigger and stronger components.

It's the span, like others mentioned, that would get me, not really the height. Height on a ski lift doesn't make me nervous... a fall from fifty feet will give you about the same results as a fall from 1300 feet... you just have more time to think about it in the last one.

I'm thinking with that kind of height they'd be able to allow considerable cable sag. And I'm sure the towers on either side would be designed and angled to be loaded in compression only.

It's obviously doable but man, think of the $$ involved.

 

[snowmaker4191]

I can't imagine being 1370 feet up on a span of wire that's 2 miles between supports. How much tension do you ahve to have on a line to cross that much distance? That's just nuts.

they build it like a bridge they have lagre ancors at the stations and pull the wire with about 1,000,000 psi on the wire, the wire would have to be very thick tho then they just support it off the ground very little suport would be put on the towers with a span like that thats how i see it being done

 

[Strat]

I'm surprised they want to do that in Canada, it seems like such an American idea :lol:

 

[skibum1321]

a fall from fifty feet will give you about the same results as a fall from 1300 feet... you just have more time to think about it in the last one.

I don't know how true that really is. I would like to think I would survive with some possible broken bones falling from 50 ft (depending on surface below). From 1300 feet you're just screwed.

 

[Brettski]

I got 2 words....

WIND HOLD

 

[Brettski]

On the other hand, if it was just yo uand a significant other (or 2) on a 20 minute trip in a 30 person Gondi....that could get interesting....

 

[tekweezle]

what a waste of time and money. I think they would be better off just linking the 2 mountains via some interconnecting trails, lifts and a midmountain lodge.
there is plenty of untapped terrain between the 2 mountains.

given how extreme the weather can get up there, I see that lift being non functional most of the time.

 

[awf170]

I got 2 words....

WIND HOLD

wrong, it will be a double line gondi, that will be able to take like 80 mph winds(or something like that)

 

[blacknblue]

what a waste of time and money. I think they would be better off just linking the 2 mountains via some interconnecting trails, lifts and a midmountain lodge.
there is plenty of untapped terrain between the 2 mountains.

given how extreme the weather can get up there, I see that lift being non functional most of the time.

Good idea, but an interconnect through Fitzsimmons Creek isn't going to happen. It's essentially protected land that the resort (thankfully, from all perspectives except skiing convenience) can't touch. Besides, there's some great ziplines down in there!