Jump to content


Scariest lifts to ride


  • You cannot reply to this topic
128 replies to this topic

#41 skierdude9450

    Established User

  • Member
  • 1,484 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, sailing, music.

Posted 12 October 2006 - 07:17 PM

Gotcha

Why not make it a funitel?
-Matt

"Today's problems cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein

#42 Ontariodude

    the suicidalskier of Muskoka

  • Member
  • 241 Posts:

Posted 14 October 2006 - 03:24 PM

View Postskierdude9450, on Oct 12 2006, 08:38 PM, said:

Oh, that'll be a great ride, but a tricable system seems pretty reliable.

What's the Petrona?


The Petronas Towers are as of now, the second tallest buildings in the world (that I can remember). They are located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Tapeii 101 beat out the Petronas Towers last year.
(Off topic but there you go :thumbsup: )

Will T. (ontariodude)

This post has been edited by Ontariodude: 14 October 2006 - 03:25 PM

- Bill

#43 skierdude9450

    Established User

  • Member
  • 1,484 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, sailing, music.

Posted 15 October 2006 - 12:29 PM

Oh yeah, I've seen those. The other twin towers. I think they have a bridgeway between them some 500 feet up.
-Matt

"Today's problems cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein

#44 Ontariodude

    the suicidalskier of Muskoka

  • Member
  • 241 Posts:

Posted 15 October 2006 - 02:20 PM

View Postskierdude9450, on Oct 15 2006, 04:29 PM, said:

I think they have a bridgeway between them some 500 feet up.


Yep. Sounds about right. :thumbsup:

Will T. (ontariodude)
- Bill

#45 Superchairliftfan

    Established User

  • Member
  • 76 Posts:

Posted 17 October 2006 - 05:52 AM

Creekside Gondola at WhistlerBlackcomb. Harmony Express used to frighten me! I also dislike Peak Express. ANY fixed grip chair gives me minor loading hassles.

#46 kstrange3

    Established User

  • Industry II
  • 48 Posts:

Posted 09 January 2008 - 08:02 AM

#1 the gap chair at white cap wisconsin, 100+ ft and on a windy day hang on!
#2 challenger chair at big sky.

#47 k2skier

    Established User

  • Member
  • 285 Posts:

Posted 09 January 2008 - 11:01 AM

View PostSkier, on Oct 11 2006, 09:09 PM, said:

Just wait for the Peak to Peak gondola between Whistler Blackcomb. Higher from the ground than the Petronas Towers.


I can't wait to ride in the glass floor cabin!

Mine are; (all dates are approx)

1984 Whistler Peak chair, that thing went straight up a cliff into a cloud, not a strong enough skier to even get on it then. If I remember it was a triple Yan with no safety bar.

1986 employed at MHM and downloaded the Blue chair for the first time. I puckered when I went over the 7 towers break-over.

1999 Park City Gondola, the old one that was replaced. It was so windy that day they would only load the 6 packs with a minimum of 4 people. I got last cabin on the gondy, it was shutting down because of winds. Since this was my last day in Salt Lake City, I either take the ride of my life or miss out on ever riding this thing. Well as luck would have it, my cabin's window, on the wind side, wouldn't close all the way so it caught a little more wind, at the second tower I was wishing I never got on this thing. I had about a foot and half of cabin swing in each direction, 3 feet total. Of course it was slowed down because of the wind so it took a reeeaaaaal long time to get to the angle station. Thankfully they wouldn't let me ride to the top.

2000 Not really scary, but exhilarating was my first ride in the Lone Peak Tram at Big Sky.

The only lift that always bothered me was Mt Hood Skibowl's Upper Bowl chair BEFORE they put in towers 1A & 1B, you must have been 80 feet in the air to FLAT with chair swing still going on. I always half stood up on the ramp to minimize chair swing.

#48 skisox34

    Established User

  • Member
  • 339 Posts:

Posted 09 January 2008 - 11:15 AM

Downloading the superstar xpress at killington after they told you that they have to slow it down to give the grip a chance to trip the grip attach switch if it doesn't attach so it stops in time...and then telling you that with that sudden breakover there is no chance that it could stop in time even on slow! (That is why there is no publice d/l on SuperStar!) And that was when they had the old yan chairs, poma grips but yan chairs. I don't think I would have d/l'd if it was a yan grip!

#49 skierdude9450

    Established User

  • Member
  • 1,484 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, sailing, music.

Posted 09 January 2008 - 03:14 PM

Now how many reports have there been of Poma grips not attaching? I think they had some alterior motive or were just trying to freak you out. If it had the Yan grips, that would be reason to worry...
-Matt

"Today's problems cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein

#50 skidv

    The post is over there -->

  • Member
  • 50 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, Travel, Aviation

Posted 09 January 2008 - 03:28 PM

View Postk2skier, on Jan 9 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

1999 Park City Gondola, the old one that was replaced. It was so windy that day they would only load the 6 packs with a minimum of 4 people. I got last cabin on the gondy, it was shutting down because of winds. Since this was my last day in Salt Lake City, I either take the ride of my life or miss out on ever riding this thing. Well as luck would have it, my cabin's window, on the wind side, wouldn't close all the way so it caught a little more wind, at the second tower I was wishing I never got on this thing. I had about a foot and half of cabin swing in each direction, 3 feet total. Of course it was slowed down because of the wind so it took a reeeaaaaal long time to get to the angle station. Thankfully they wouldn't let me ride to the top.


The Park City Gondola was removed in 1997.

#51 floridaskier

    Established User

  • Administrator I
  • 2,814 Posts:

Posted 09 January 2008 - 05:33 PM

Yeah, that would have had to be in 1996, which was the only year that the gondola and the first six pack (Silverlode) were in place at the same time. Are you sure it was slowed down for the wind, it didn't go too fast on a good day. I guess I miss the iconic status of the gondola, but the two six packs get the job done much better, and I was pretty young when they took it out. Hard to believe that there was ever a time there without the six packs
- Tyler
West Palm Beach, FL - elev. 9 feet

#52 skisox34

    Established User

  • Member
  • 339 Posts:

Posted 11 January 2008 - 09:54 AM

View Postskierdude9450, on Jan 9 2008, 03:14 PM, said:

Now how many reports have there been of Poma grips not attaching? I think they had some alterior motive or were just trying to freak you out. If it had the Yan grips, that would be reason to worry...

Chances are it was a mech just trying to freak me out but the breakover is an expirience to d/l over on that lift!

#53 k2skier

    Established User

  • Member
  • 285 Posts:

Posted 12 January 2008 - 07:14 PM

View Postskidv, on Jan 9 2008, 03:28 PM, said:

The Park City Gondola was removed in 1997.


Then I'm off in my dates, it was the last year it ran. I remember i rode in a red cabin, the towers were really high too.
The six pack was definitely was loaded with a minimum of 4 for the wind, must have been 40-50mph.

1996 was my first trip to Utah, then in 1999 and back again for the Olympics in 2002.

This post has been edited by k2skier: 12 January 2008 - 07:18 PM


#54 liftmech

    lift mechanic

  • Administrator II
  • 5,918 Posts:
  • Interests:Many.

Posted 13 January 2008 - 06:46 PM

View Postskierdude9450, on Jan 9 2008, 04:14 PM, said:

Now how many reports have there been of Poma grips not attaching? I think they had some alterior motive or were just trying to freak you out. If it had the Yan grips, that would be reason to worry...


None that I know of. That is, however, standard procedure on most detachable lifts. The distance between the top terminal and the first tower(s) is usually much less than full speed stopping distance. Thus the slow, so that when the lft comes to a stop the chair is much closer to the terminal and easier to evec if the grip actually is not attached properly. It's also closer to the ground in most cases, which also helps immensely.
Member, Department of Ancient Technology, Colorado chapter.

#55 skierdude9450

    Established User

  • Member
  • 1,484 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, sailing, music.

Posted 15 January 2008 - 08:31 PM

I always thought that they slowed it because it's a lot harder to board in the uphill terminal.
-Matt

"Today's problems cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein

#56 ceo

    Established User

  • Member
  • 59 Posts:

Posted 16 January 2008 - 10:22 AM

Spillway East at Sugarloaf, a fast Borvig double, has a really long span over the Sluice Headwall, that's lots of not fun when the lift stops in the middle of it.

This post has been edited by ceo: 16 January 2008 - 10:23 AM


#57 Andoman

    Established User

  • Member
  • 395 Posts:
  • Interests:Winning the lotto

Posted 24 May 2008 - 07:02 PM

I'm generally not scared of lifts, with the exception of high wind days, but there is one. Alpine Valley in michigan has one that it's not so much the chair but the fact that the whole crest of the hill is man made out of plywood and 2x4's (I'm talking about the top 10 to 15 foot of that entire run), I think it's chair #8 (the northern most chair) but it's not fun after you've seen the hill from the back side.

Andoman :sick:

I've also been stuck on Boyne's 6 pack for 2.5 hours during a break down, also not fun

This post has been edited by Andoman: 24 May 2008 - 07:03 PM


#58 northeastskier

    Established User

  • Member
  • 108 Posts:

Posted 25 May 2008 - 04:09 AM

Coonskin on Telluride at the Gondola crossover is the scariest lift I have ever rode on. Once I got stuck on the North Quad at Gore.

View Postskisox34, on Jan 9 2008, 12:15 PM, said:

Downloading the superstar xpress at killington after they told you that they have to slow it down to give the grip a chance to trip the grip attach switch if it doesn't attach so it stops in time...and then telling you that with that sudden breakover there is no chance that it could stop in time even on slow! (That is why there is no publice d/l on SuperStar!) And that was when they had the old yan chairs, poma grips but yan chairs. I don't think I would have d/l'd if it was a yan grip!


that's really scary! I would hate to beyou and learn that!

#59 skierdude9450

    Established User

  • Member
  • 1,484 Posts:
  • Interests:Skiing, sailing, music.

Posted 27 May 2008 - 11:42 AM

Now that I think of it, there's one more lift that's sometimes scary. There's this one spot on the upper section of the Peak 8 SuperConnect at Breck that has to be 50 feet off the ground. Combine that with the probable 50 mph winds in your face = not a fun ride.
-Matt

"Today's problems cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein

#60 Lift Kid

    Minnesota Skier!

  • Industry I
  • 1,333 Posts:

Posted 27 May 2008 - 01:34 PM

View Postskierdude9450, on May 27 2008, 02:42 PM, said:

Now that I think of it, there's one more lift that's sometimes scary. There's this one spot on the upper section of the Peak 8 SuperConnect at Breck that has to be 50 feet off the ground. Combine that with the probable 50 mph winds in your face = not a fun ride.

I'll second that motion.





1 User(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users