13 replies to this topic

[skierdude9450]

What are the factors that determine whether a lift will be on the left or the right? Or is it just the buyer's choice?

[SkiBachelor]

I asked this question in the past and the response I got had to do with the loading and unloading areas of the lift.

While most of the time the uphill side is on the right side, I've seen instances where it's actually on the left for no apparent reason, like the Outback Express at Mt. Bachelor.

[Snoqualmie guy]

At Mt. Hood Meadows on Vista Express you load at the end of the station and then turn the corner and then zoom out of the station. I've never been on a lift like that before.

[EagleAce]

At Badger Pass, Eagle, Badger and Red Fox are clockwise rotation (left load) while Bruin is counterclockwise (right load). It has a lot to do with the terrain.

[chasl]

EagleAce, on May 21 2007, 11:00 PM, said:

At Badger Pass, Eagle, Badger and Red Fox are clockwise rotation (left load) while Bruin is counterclockwise (right load). It has a lot to do with the terrain.

Exactly

[boardski]

In some cases, replacement lifts rotate the opposite direction as the lifts they replaced. For example at Copper, double and triple 'E' rotated counter-clockwise (up-side on right) and the Excellerator (Quad 'E') rotates clockwise (up-side on left). Triple Santiago at Keystone rotated with the up-side on right and the Quad Santiago has the up-side on left.

[defence2]

boardski, on May 22 2007, 07:02 PM, said:

In some cases, replacement lifts rotate the opposite direction as the lifts they replaced. For example at Copper, double and triple 'E' rotated counter-clockwise (up-side on right) and the Excellerator (Quad 'E') rotates clockwise (up-side on left). Triple Santiago at Keystone rotated with the up-side on right and the Quad Santiago has the up-side on left.

Why do the change this?

[liftmech]

Quad-E is different from old double-E and triple-E because of the 90-degree loading at the bottom. The bottom terminal is (or was, until we widened lower Copperopolis) right up against the trees and sat on a raised berm, which forced the maze off to the right side of the lift. Rather than bend the maze on a tight corner, it sticks directly out away from the lift. Thus, one skis straight ahead from the maze, loads halfway around the contour, and rides around the bend and out.

As for unloading, one consideration is the direction the majority of the skiers/riders will take after they get off the lift. If they'll be going right, it's good to have the lift turn away from them to the left rather than chase them- cuts down on unloading incidents.

[Lift Dinosaur]

In addition to the terrain, as mentioned, another consideration is prevailing wind direction - better to have loaded carriers on the windward side.

Dino

[skierdude9450]

Winter Park seems to go against that rule. The wind comes out of the West, and all but 5 of their lifts are on the left. Is that just their preference?

[floridaskier]

Grips and hanger arms from left and right-hand lifts are interchangeable right? If not that would probably be a consideration but I don't think so, a lot of resorts have different examples of the same type of lift with different rotation directions

[liftmech]

Yes- even if the hanger is welded to the bail the whole assembly can be removed from the basket (seat) portion and reversed.

[iceberg210]

I think most of the time it has to do with the unloading and loading of the lift. Take Baldy Express at Snowbird for example. It goes up on the left side so that at the top you take a ninety degree turn before unloading because the lift is nestled into a mountain on the left side.

On Sugarloaf at Alta you have the same idea just on the loading end. You sit down and it takes you through a ninety degree turn before you start running up the hill on the left side.

Although I wouldn't think there would be just out of curiosity is there any benefit mechanically to running one way over the other?

[liftmech]

None that I can think of.