52 replies to this topic

[SkiKC]

I was reading that several countries/resorts in Europe and Asia have High Speed 8-pax chairs in operation. Does anyone know if there are any operative here in the US, and if not why? We have more gondolas for sure, but an 8pax chair seems like a viable alternative for a skier-only lift.
Also, would the idea of a 12-pack be at all feasible?

[Peter]

SkiKC, on 26 March 2014 - 04:56 PM, said:

I was reading that several countries/resorts in Europe and Asia have High Speed 8-pax chairs in operation. Does anyone know if there are any operative here in the US, and if not why? We have more gondolas for sure, but an 8pax chair seems like a viable alternative for a skier-only lift.
Also, would the idea of a 12-pack be at all feasible?

There are about fifty 8-packs in Europe (mostly in Austria), four in South Korea and one in Australia. I'm not sure why they never caught on here. Nothing bigger has been tried although I'm sure Doppelmayr would build one if there was a market.

[DonaldMReif]

As far as I know, no eight-pack lifts exist in the United States. The stops and slows would be too many. Also, chairs that wide look more like couches than chairlift chairs.

[2milehi]

Because Americans can't load a 6-pack.

[vons]

2milehi, on 26 March 2014 - 07:57 PM, said:

Because Americans can't load a 6-pack.

[SkiDaBird]

Depends on the resort. Although most resorts where there wouldn't be a problem don't use 6 seaters. MBX needs one badly and it would load fine.

[teachme]

I lived in South Korea for 13 years. If you think 8 packs are not in Canada / US because of mis-loads I suggest then that clearly does not explain them being in Korea! They need them as Skiing in south Korea is more like going to a packed amusement park than an outdoor sport. 50% of skiers are beginners who have a hard time staying standing, much less actually getting on a lift. I love the country, but I'm honest when I say they do some things well and others, like ski, not well at all!. If I remember in the morning, I'll write a summary of what it can be like to ski there.

[Aussierob]

A lot of the 8 packs in Europe run a a fairly large chair interval so you get a fair bit of time loading and unloading, while keeping capacity up.

[Conrad]

Whistler's master plan a few years back called for a Harmony Express 8 pack, but that didn't happen obviously.
http://skimap.org/da...0jpg_render.jpg

[nathanvg]

2milehi, on 26 March 2014 - 07:57 PM, said:

Because Americans can't load a 6-pack.

European's can't load them either. Like most European lifts, the lines have no organization and the result is that the 8pk often only has 2, 3 or 4 people on a chair. Seems like a complete waste in my experience. With proper line management, I could see a US market for them but it may be much better to build 2 HSQ lifts instead. The other problem is once everyone gets off the lift, you need them to be smart and ski away from it of you get a jam at the top.

[Backbowlsbilly]

I think a U.S. 8 pack could work, if it was run really well by the resort. The same is true for six packs, some have good line organization and can really eliminate lines in the area but others aren't as well organized and end up functioning more like a high speed quad because nobody loads six to a chair. The first 8 pack will likely be built with large chair spacing and several employees in the line to sort things out and other resorts will follow if it works well, the first 8-pack will also be a big marketing ploy for the resort that gets it. Does anybody know where a good place for one would be or a location where they would like to see one built?

[SkiDaBird]

Backbowlsbilly, on 30 March 2014 - 01:20 PM, said:

I think a U.S. 8 pack could work, if it was run really well by the resort. The same is true for six packs, some have good line organization and can really eliminate lines in the area but others aren't as well organized and end up functioning more like a high speed quad because nobody loads six to a chair. The first 8 pack will likely be built with large chair spacing and several employees in the line to sort things out and other resorts will follow if it works well, the first 8-pack will also be a big marketing ploy for the resort that gets it. Does anybody know where a good place for one would be or a location where they would like to see one built?

I personally expected Colorado, but the 6 puts that to rest. Maybe Mount Snow, Killington or Squaw.

[Backbowlsbilly]

I was expecting Colorado, too. I also thought that maybe Vista Bahn could get replaced with an 8-Pack but Gondola One went in instead.

[Kicking Horse]

I don't see any resort in Colorado getting a 8 pack chair anytime soon. Six Packs are good enough if managed / ran correctly. Village Express is a prime exp of a "well" run six pack. Same with SuperBee at Copper.

[skier691]

Ive heard 'talk' for years about a MI resort getting one... the 'talk' has picked up recently, with an 8 pack mentioned along with the relocation of the current lift. The pride to have the first within the company might get it done, even if its not needed.

[SkiDaBird]

skier691, on 01 April 2014 - 07:18 AM, said:

Ive heard 'talk' for years about a MI resort getting one... the 'talk' has picked up recently, with an 8 pack mentioned along with the relocation of the current lift. The pride to have the first within the company might get it done, even if its not needed.

ME at Boyne? What else in MI would actually be able to use that? Maybe Heather.

[Aussierob]

I was at the bottom of Harmony for a while on Sunday, very busy with a nearly full maze. We only had two lifties on at the load ramp and I was surprised how well we got 6 people per chair. I thought for sure it would be a gong show but people seem to have worked it out. We have two singles lines, one each side and it seem to work pretty well. For an 8 pack location, I'm thinking Fitzsimmons chair for capacity in the bike park.

Edited to add that a six pack eats up lift lines. This is a busy place for us and the chair is doing what we put it in for.

This post has been edited by Aussierob: 01 April 2014 - 08:41 PM

[mrskifriend]

Heh, we could use one at Mt. Hood Meadows. The place has 6 HSQ's but when it snowed this year after having a lame start EVERYBODY from Portland and other large population centers filled up this place, and even when in a HSQ line with RFID gates which improve effeciency I waited more than 10 minutes for each lift ride. I know they get about 400,000 visitors a year but that is increasing over time, and over 400,000 visitors a year spread over 2,150 acres means lines on the weekends, holidays and snow days. I WANT AN EIGHT PACK!

[Backbowlsbilly]

I would gladly take a 10 minute lift line on the worst days at Breck or Vail, you can talk about liftlines of 30 minutes and up on the busy days. I waited for an hour on Quicksilver once at Breck on President's day and its a double loading six pack. Both Breck and Vail average over 1 million skier visits per year and I'm sure the bases at Whistler and Park City get like this too on busy days. I haven't skied the East but I bet on busy days or weekends that the main lifts get crowded like this too. The first capacity-minded eight pack will likely go to one of these resorts that has nearly unbearable crowding on some days that cripples the mountain but once again, as others have said, the first eight pack will have a large chair interval and be an advantage in marketing for the resort that gets it. Does anybody know what the maximum capacity of an eight pack is or what the largest capacity eight pack built today is?

[snoloco]

Killington could use an 8-pack on Ramshead, Snowshed, or both. Snowshed is a mess of beginner lifts that include an HSQ and 2 crappy slow doubles. An 8-pack with a large chair interval, maybe around 8 seconds would have the same design capacity of a 6-pack and be able to run closer to that due to a longer loading interval. Ramshead has one HSQ that is rated for 2,600 an hour, but has a capacity around 1,850 since they it gets lots of beginners and stops. Because of that it can't run at its design speed, or it would get even more stops. An 8-pack there with a large chair interval could probably handle crowds better than a 6-pack.