Lara’s is the only Leitner gondola in the Americas!The lift is short but sweet with just 16 cabins.Single leg drive terminal.Compact return terminal in the heart of Big White village.Side view of the top terminal.Leitner tower.Towers 1 and 2.View down the line.Big White village station.The breakover.Happy Valley station.Lift line.Another view of the unique cabins and towers.Between 2019 and 2022, this lift received all new Sigma Diamond cabins.Bottom terminal with new cabins.A Diamond cabin in the lower station.The upper station with new carriers.Diamond cabin on the line.Another view of the top station.Upgraded lift overview.
Our base is almost 3000′ higher than their summit, so by that logic we should be buried every year. Sadly, we’re not. Big White’s snowfall has everything to do with climate and location, and very little to do with elevation.
I wish people would spend more time learning about the weathers. I’ve had people say “Hopefully it’ll be powdery on the backside” when it’s sunny and 50 on Chair 2. SMH.
Yeah it’s mostly about climate, but Skier 72 is also right concerning the elevation. Althought Big White is not very high compared to Colorado resorts, for BC a summit above 2300 m (7600 ft) and a base above 1200 m means that the area generaly recieves high snow totals.
charlie (theincsupport)December 18, 2021 / 6:56 pm
Rode this guy today, every third cabin is now a Sigma Diamond. No idea what the point of it is, but the ride on the diamond is much smoother than the original cabins.
Big White has put on there website recently that 16 cabins would be added to Lara’s Since they’ve already added 8 Sigma cabins to the previously existing ones making 24 total, this most likely means the only La Perla cabins possibly ever in the Americas are moving on. It’s a sad day in the lift world.
This is the first gondola I’ve ever ridden, and the only one I’d ridden for a while. I’ve grown to love these vintage and unique cabins, and to see them depart is certainly upsetting. Still, I’m glad to see them making improvements. They weren’t the most comfortable cabins ever.
Ridden both cabins on this gondi in a day, and the newer sigma’s are certainly more comfortable and quieter and just about every other positive adjective you could describe about it, but I’ll sure miss the older ones.
Peter, this is actually not the only Leitner Gondola in the Americas, there is another in South America. Parque Unipraias in Balneario Camboriu Brazil has a 1998 3 station Leitner 8P gondola with 2018 CWA Omegas
I cant figure out how to add pics here, but i have a photo of the new Omegas in the driver terminal, cabins are in great shape for being in a coastal environment. Based off of that and the line equipment i think the crew here takes a lot of pride in their work.
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That seems like one big dump.
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It’s called Okanagan Powder. Big White is extremely high in elevation, so when it snows, it snows like crazy.
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Our base is almost 3000′ higher than their summit, so by that logic we should be buried every year. Sadly, we’re not. Big White’s snowfall has everything to do with climate and location, and very little to do with elevation.
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I wish people would spend more time learning about the weathers. I’ve had people say “Hopefully it’ll be powdery on the backside” when it’s sunny and 50 on Chair 2. SMH.
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Yeah it’s mostly about climate, but Skier 72 is also right concerning the elevation. Althought Big White is not very high compared to Colorado resorts, for BC a summit above 2300 m (7600 ft) and a base above 1200 m means that the area generaly recieves high snow totals.
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Rode this guy today, every third cabin is now a Sigma Diamond. No idea what the point of it is, but the ride on the diamond is much smoother than the original cabins.
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Most likely an ADA accessible cabin.
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They did a capacity upgrade and the Leitner La Perla cabins were no longer in production so they used the Sigma Diamond cabins.
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I’m glad I got to ride the unique leitner cabins in December of 2019. There were only one or two diamond cabins on the line from what I can remember
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Big White has put on there website recently that 16 cabins would be added to Lara’s Since they’ve already added 8 Sigma cabins to the previously existing ones making 24 total, this most likely means the only La Perla cabins possibly ever in the Americas are moving on. It’s a sad day in the lift world.
Website linked here:
https://www.bigwhite.com/explore-big-white/mountain-info/whats-new
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Many parts for the La Perla cabins are no longer available which makes this conversion understandable. Sad day? Seriously?
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This is the first gondola I’ve ever ridden, and the only one I’d ridden for a while. I’ve grown to love these vintage and unique cabins, and to see them depart is certainly upsetting. Still, I’m glad to see them making improvements. They weren’t the most comfortable cabins ever.
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Ridden both cabins on this gondi in a day, and the newer sigma’s are certainly more comfortable and quieter and just about every other positive adjective you could describe about it, but I’ll sure miss the older ones.
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All of the cabins are now sigma diamonds!
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Peter, this is actually not the only Leitner Gondola in the Americas, there is another in South America. Parque Unipraias in Balneario Camboriu Brazil has a 1998 3 station Leitner 8P gondola with 2018 CWA Omegas
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I cant figure out how to add pics here, but i have a photo of the new Omegas in the driver terminal, cabins are in great shape for being in a coastal environment. Based off of that and the line equipment i think the crew here takes a lot of pride in their work.
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What are the old cabins called?
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La Perla
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