16 replies to this topic

[Adaptive skiing]

What is standard chair to lift clearance standard for loading dadaptive equipment?
Is it common practice to post clearance height at loading platform? examples of resorts that do.

[mikest2]

Adaptive skiing, on Apr 21 2009, 06:40 PM, said:

What is standard chair to lift clearance standard for loading dadaptive equipment?
Is it common practice to post clearance height at loading platform? examples of resorts that do.

We use 500mm (20") from chair seat top to load and unload ramps. Our Doppelmayr E type quads and LP sixpack chairs have more clearance underneath the seat than our Poma boomerang quad. I assume you are hanging up on some of your hardware ?

[Adaptive skiing]

mikest2, on Apr 21 2009, 07:05 PM, said:

We use 500mm (20") from chair seat top to load and unload ramps. Our Doppelmayr E type quads and LP sixpack chairs have more clearance underneath the seat than our Poma boomerang quad. I assume you are hanging up on some of your hardware ?

You are correct. Do you know if it is common practice at major resorts to post clearance heights given varying snow conditions?

[mikest2]

Adaptive skiing, on Apr 21 2009, 08:52 PM, said:

You are correct. Do you know if it is common practice at major resorts to post clearance heights given varying snow conditions?

No..........Why would you ? Lifts are designed for Skiers and now Boarders, If you are having trouble with your limos, you should redesign them. No area is going to change their loads and unloads to accomodate a fractional percentage of passengers. Sit skis are a good example of adaptive gear that has been designed to work with existing lifts. We have had trouble with certain snowboard bindings getting crushed under the chair, that is the manufacturers problem because they did not warn the end user that they had to fold down the binding to provide clearance on certain lifts. We have had no problems with our Limos (which I assume you built). So...............Why the question ?

[Peter]

I would say most resorts post these signs at each lift...

Attached File(s)

•  aerialliftsigns.gif (3.96K)
  Number of downloads: 7

[SuperRat]

The code in NH requires us to post a sign like or simular to the image in Skiers post. Despite varying conditions the ramp height must be maintained at the posted chair height + or - 2 inches. I also believe there is code for minimum and maximum chair heights. The posted sign is for all chair riders but my ski area knows its of particular importance to the adaptive equipment users as its harder for them to make suprise adjustments in the load area. They need to know if their equipment will work with the chair they want to ride. You must already know all this "Adaptive Skier".

We know adaptive equipment manufacturers try to design around these codes but we have made off season adjustments to ramps to make the chair height work better for our adaptive instructors and students. We do it for them because we believe the adaptive teaching program is good for our ski area and as long as the height is within the parameters set down by the code it should work for all riders.

This post has been edited by SuperRat: 22 April 2009 - 04:04 AM

[Kicking Horse]

Aspen Snowmass runs anywhere from 18 to 23 depending on lift. I know on the Six Pack at Snowmass we ran a 23inch hieght from top of seat pad to ramp.

[Jonni]

At Sunapee because we have the New England Handicap Ski Association right there we see a huge number of sit-skiers and adaptive skiers. Since we have this large number of sit-skis and our beginner quad chair is where the usually hang out, it is maintained to be around 18" or so from the load board to the top of the seat. They don't seem to have too much trouble, although probably about 85% of them all get pull backs from lifties during loading (loading is always at half speed unless otherwise requested by the adaptive instructors). On a typical day we will load sit skiers 20 to 25 times a day. When NEHSA has any sort of a get together for sit skiers (I apologize I don't remember any of the events that they hold) that number doubles or even triples.

[Kicking Horse]

For the Record.

Ansi Code requires that chair height be posted at "all" loading points. This means uphill and Downhill loading stations.

If anyone has the code handy please post it.

Thanks

[LiftTech]

SuperRat, on Apr 22 2009, 07:56 AM, said:

The code in NH requires us to post a sign like or simular to the image in Skiers post. Despite varying conditions the ramp height must be maintained at the posted chair height + or - 2 inches. I also believe there is code for minimum and maximum chair heights. The posted sign is for all chair riders but my ski area knows its of particular importance to the adaptive equipment users as its harder for them to make suprise adjustments in the load area. They need to know if their equipment will work with the chair they want to ride. You must already know all this "Adaptive Skier".

We know adaptive equipment manufacturers try to design around these codes but we have made off season adjustments to ramps to make the chair height work better for our adaptive instructors and students. We do it for them because we believe the adaptive teaching program is good for our ski area and as long as the height is within the parameters set down by the code it should work for all riders.

The ANSI standard only has a max unload seat height (22”, 560mm) none for load, just the sign posted above.

[Adaptive skiing]

mikest2, on Apr 21 2009, 09:04 PM, said:

No..........Why would you ? Lifts are designed for Skiers and now Boarders, If you are having trouble with your limos, you should redesign them. No area is going to change their loads and unloads to accomodate a fractional percentage of passengers. Sit skis are a good example of adaptive gear that has been designed to work with existing lifts. We have had trouble with certain snowboard bindings getting crushed under the chair, that is the manufacturers problem because they did not warn the end user that they had to fold down the binding to provide clearance on certain lifts. We have had no problems with our Limos (which I assume you built). So...............Why the question ?

For your info
For the Record.

Ansi Code requires that chair height be posted at "all" loading points. This means uphill and Downhill loading stations

[Adaptive skiing]

LiftTech, on Apr 22 2009, 06:42 AM, said:

The ANSI standard only has a max unload seat height (22", 560mm) none for load, just the sign posted above.

Just a small clarification. Sno-Limo is built to and beyond exacting industry standards for adaptive equipment. Issue is not with equipment but sharing info as to snow to seat clearances and info to lift user thereof. Height posting certainly seems to be widespread standard.

[LiftTech]

Adaptive skiing, on Apr 22 2009, 08:45 AM, said:

For your info
For the Record.

Ansi Code requires that chair height be posted at "all" loading points. This means uphill and Downhill loading stations

ANSI is not a code it's a standard, we all should be looking to this as a minimum to our requirements and we all should be doing whatever we need to do get anyone no matter what their abilities or challenges are on the hill, enough said.

[mikest2]

Adaptive skiing, on Apr 22 2009, 06:45 AM, said:

For your info
For the Record.

Ansi Code requires that chair height be posted at "all" loading points. This means uphill and Downhill loading stations

You and I are in Canada, the Z98 does not require signage as to ramp height. I don't have a code at home, but if memory serves me it is the same as the ANSI Std. 18-22" We keep all ours right at 20", As far as signs go..............We can't get passengers to read the signs we are already required to post, I don't need any more. A wise old area owner once said we need one big sign when entering a resort that says "Please read the f**king signs"

We can't load toboggans on our Poma Boomerang Quad, as there isn't enough room under the seat in the load area (and Poma prohibits it in their manuals)

[Adaptive skiing]

mikest2, on Apr 22 2009, 07:09 PM, said:

You and I are in Canada, the Z98 does not require signage as to ramp height. I don't have a code at home, but if memory serves me it is the same as the ANSI Std. 18-22" We keep all ours right at 20", As far as signs go..............We can't get passengers to read the signs we are already required to post, I don't need any more. A wise old area owner once said we need one big sign when entering a resort that says "Please read the f**king signs"

We can't load toboggans on our Poma Boomerang Quad, as there isn't enough room under the seat in the load area (and Poma prohibits it in their manuals)

BigWhite ramps and platforms are indeed very well maintained. THX

[liftmech]

Different country, but-- all our lifts here at Copper have a sign (those damn signs again!) at the bottom stating 'load height 19" +/- 2"'.

[DonaldMReif]

I think load height can be different at different lifts. For example, when I'm in Breckenridge, the chair loading height at the quads and Quicksilver feels just fine, but at the Independence SuperChair, it seems that the chair height must be a lot lower since it feels like that to me, although that might be to prevent misloads with little kids in ski school.

Not like I can tell which lifts have foot passenger rides built in, for lifts like Quicksilver and the Colorado SuperChair, or the Keystone Summit Express, have flatter unload ramps than others that are not meant for foot transport.