5 replies to this topic

[Snowy Ferries]

Hey, guys. I am curious: if a catostrophic failure were to stall the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, how would you evacuate costuers? Obviosly 1,500 feet is a little bit high for a standard rope evac. I have heard about a system where you whinch carriers to towers 2 and 3, but how exacly does that work?

If I am starting a redundant topic, I apologise. I could not find this kind of thing anywhere else on the forum.

[Razvan]

Hints about this were given in the Discovery Channel's "Peak to Peak - Building the World's Biggest Gondola" presentation. However, it wasn't the main focus of the documentary, and insights from an insider would be great - especially if accompanied by photos or movies. Should be a very interesting feat - the tower from the pictures resembles the Apollo's Launch Umbilical Tower, so in an emergency some neat tech would unfold. From across the pond, that's pretty much all I can contribute.

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[Aussierob]

I'm trying to pry some video out of the company. Stay tuned.

[brad82]

From what I've dug up, there is a auxiliary winch on the rescue tower. As shown in the photos above there are rescue carriages that are stowed on the tower out the way of the line during normal operation. When a rescue is required the carriages are loaded onto the track ropes (note not attached to the haul rope, but the winch on the tower itself) using the cranes on the tower. The rescue carriage is then lowered to the first cabin, and then latches onto the stranded cabins hangar (using the mechanism on the right of the first photo above). The combined rescue carriage and cabin are towed by the auxiliary winch to the tower where the cabin is opened and a normal gondola style rescue can be performed by patrol from a "safe" height. The whole process is repeated over an estimated 4-5 hours [according to WB's press releases]

Hope thats not too far off, im sure Rob can clear up any details I've missed or got wrong, but it should give you an overview of how the rescue is performed.

[Aussierob]

I have requested a couple of times for the marketing people to put the rescue video up with the other P2P vids but it seems no joy so far. Brad82 has the gist of it though.

[Ryan]

Isn't there a similar device for emergency evac of the Red Pine Gondola at The Canyons for the section near the top that crosses the ravine?